A Girl Far From Home
by twelveace
Summary: She wakes in a field far from where she belongs, not remembering anything of who she is, and her life takes an unexpected turn. Can the Doctor help her remember who she is? Can she take back the former, normal life she used to have?
1. A Girl Far From Home

Her eyes snapped open as she breathed hard, taking in the new environment around her. She stood, shakily, running a hand through her thick, black hair. She blinked, trying to recall the past events.

But nothing came to her. Her mind was completely blank. She couldn't even remember her own name, or where she came from. She had absolutely no idea where she was.

 _Pockets_ , she thought. _They'll probably be of some use._

'Who am I?' she mused as she dug through the pockets of her jeans. She dug out a wallet, and flipped it open.

 _Caroline Nicola Miles._ That was the name on the identity card she found. Perhaps...was that her? But the girl in the photo, smiling back at her, seemed so different in appearance. Blonde hair, like golden rays of sunlight; green eyes, like pools of green jade...the more she looked at the photo, she knew that this wasn't her. She resembled Caroline as much as a beetle resembles a butterfly.

 _Date of Birth: 22nd October, 1965._ What year was it now? She made a wild guess. 1984, perhaps? She really couldn't be sure.

She moved away from the photo and dug out a photograph. The colours were still vibrant, meaning that it hadn't been long since the photo was taken. It was a photo of Caroline again, with her parents. All of them were smiling. Bright, wide smiles.

But why did she have Caroline's belongings?

Her head spun, her vision blurring. She could barely stay on her feet now.

The dark, heavy clouds rolled over the hills as thunder roared from the distance. She took a few moments to get her bearings, but she didn't have time to rest for long. Heavy, blinding sheets of rain poured down as she tucked the wallet back into her pocket, and she looked around for shelter. Where was she? It seemed that she was in the middle of the countryside. Nothing around for miles. Her head pounded as she sank to her knees, pressing her fingers to her temples.

She squinted, noticing something in the distance. Shelter.

There it stood, a striking blue box, by the side of the path. Her heart lifted as she used the last of her energy to reach that small booth. It was as vital to her as water was to a traveller in the desert – life-saving. She heaved a great sigh of relief when she reached the box, pushing past the doors with whatever little strength she had left. Once she was clear of the rain she collapsed on the hard floor, closing her eyes, allowing herself to take a rest. She would figure out the rest when she had recovered, and perhaps the rain would have stopped by then.

The last thing she recalled before she slipped away was the sound of footsteps approaching.


	2. Newly Awakened

She awoke, eyelids fluttering open as she grasped at the nearest object to pull herself up. Immediately she noticed the change in surroundings. She was no longer on the ground of the booth as she had thought, but on a bed. _How could I have gotten here?_ She thought as she stretched her legs and stood. She was still in the clothes she had arrived in, her favourite red flannel shirt and her worn-out jeans. Her hand immediately went to her pocket, relieved to see that her wallet was still firmly tucked there.

She felt less dizzy than before, but she knew that she was still weak. Her mind continued to be fuzzy and her steps were wobbly, and she had to stretch out a hand to grasp any object nearby. It was then when she had a good look at the room she was in. The room was fairly spacious, and she wondered whether she was still in the little booth she had collapsed in earlier. Circular panels filled the walls, forming a neat yet artistic pattern. _Art,_ She recalled. _I used to work with that._ She sighed as she shook her head. Other than the fact that she liked art, there wasn't much else that she remembered.

The rest of the room was rather simple and neat. There was nothing more than a desk and chair, and a hat rack by the door. She felt calm and at ease here – the whole atmosphere was quite homely, in her opinion. Within just a few minutes of being here, she already felt at home.

Then she remembered the footsteps.

Hurried, brisk footsteps. The ones she heard before she went unconscious. Did that mean there was someone else nearby? And was she in danger?

Ignoring all the thoughts buzzing around in that brain of hers, she pushed open the door of the room, relieved to find it unlocked. A maze of twisting corridors greeted her, and with small, cautious footsteps, she peeked around the corner, hoping to find her way out of this labyrinth. Her heart palpitated as she glanced around, trying to find a way out of these corridors. She held her breath – it felt rather claustrophobic, in this space. She wished she could be out in the fields again, without the walls, without the boundaries.

"Oh, you've woken up."

She jumped, taking a sharp breath as she spun. She backed up towards the wall, clenching her fists as she slid down the wall, coming to a stop on her knees. She breathed hard, blinking hard.

"I'm sorry, I must have given you quite a shock."

"A shock?" She spat, looking up again. "You almost gave me a bloody heart attack!"

"I'm sorry for that." The voice came again, gentler, softer this time. The speaker bent down, and she was able to get a better look at him. A young chap, around thirty years old perhaps. Fair, floppy blonde hair, and blue eyes that seemed to hide more beyond. A sweet smile. He had some sort of a boyish charm surrounding him, a warm air. But she still couldn't understand how he fit into all this.

"Look, you're safe now, here in the TAR-"He started, placing a comforting hand on her arm. Immediately she tensed, shifting away. It took her a few seconds for her to regain her composure, before apologizing.

"Sorry," She shrugged. "I'm not one for physical contact. Sudden physical contact."

He nodded understandingly before pulling away. She relaxed, studying him as she dusted off the patch of her clothing where his hand was.

"Why don't we go back to the console room and have a chat?" He offered his hand. Hovering near hers, but not making contact yet. Her mind raced as she took a while to process the whole situation. She licked her lips and took a breath before shakily extending her right hand out to him, her heart beating so loud she could hear the pulsing in her ears. He pulled her to her feet, but before he could lead her to wherever he wanted to lead her she withdrew her hand from his, running the tips of her fingers against the skin of her thumb. Once again she apologised, but he did not say anything, but suggested that she follow him to the console room.

"Where exactly are we?" She asked, curious. She wondered how he could remember how to navigate this place. It seemed impossible, unless this was something he did regularly.

"It's my TARDIS." He responded, and she frowned at the term.

"What exactly is your 'TARDIS', sir?" She enquired.

He breathed. "It's a little hard to explain. To put it simply, it's a time machine." He threw it out casually, as if expecting her to believe him immediately.

"Impossible. Time travel doesn't exist." She spat, crossing her arms as she walked just a few steps behind him, her footsteps echoing before his.

"Then you'll be surprised to know that it does really exist." He responded. They walked in silence for another few minutes before they reached the console room. Watching his coat tails swish as he walked, she noticed how peculiar his attire was. A beige overcoat, over what seemed to be cricket attire (that was the most she could guess just by looking at his back) and she remembered distinctively the stalk of celery that sat on his lapel, which really puzzled her. As they reached the room, she couldn't help but be marvelled by the design of the room. More of the round panels covered the room (in fact, these motifs seemed to be everywhere,) and in the centre was a console, which captivated her in all its complexity. It looked like a cross between a computer and a chandelier. Switches and levers, so many of them it was impossible to count them all, were spread across the main console. In the centre there sat a glass cylinder encasing some glass shards in geometric shapes, stacked on top of each other (to her, it looked like the world's most transparent birthday cake).

"Sir, you mentioned that this was your TARDIS...does it stand for anything?" She asked, as she hovered over the console, admiring the glass structure that sat in the centre. It fell and rose, like the breathing of an animal or human being. It seemed to move in a systematic rhythm, as if the entire machine were a living being in its own.

"Yes. Indeed it does. It stands for 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space'." He explained.

"Oh." She scratched her head, as if something deep in her conscious was coming back to her.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Is there something wrong?" He prompted, with a concerned expression on his face.

She bit her lip, steadying herself with both hands on the console. "I'm fine. I think I'm starting to remember something..." She turned back to him. "It's alright. I'll sort it out myself."

"You seem rather confused. Maybe you'd like to tell me how you got here." He suggested.

"I don't remember how I ended up in that field." She started.

He offered a thought. "Honestly, I think you didn't quite belong there, the place I picked you up."

"Would you explain, sir?" She raised an eyebrow. She didn't quite understand. Did he mean that she wasn't supposed...to be where she ended up? How did she arrive there in the first place? And why couldn't she remember a single thing about herself?

"Well, I found you in the year 1860. The clothes you're wearing...I think I'd put you at around the late 20th century, or even the early 21st century. And plus, I found you in England. I don't think...an Asian girl like you would be likely to be there at that time and place." He attempted to explain. As he spoke she studied her reflection in the glass casing. It had been the first time she saw her face since she arrived in the field. The whole thing seemed perplexing to her. At that time, why couldn't she remember what she looked like?

"You do have a point. Sir, how do you think I ended up there in the first place?" She inquired curiously.

He took a breath. "I'm not sure, to be honest. What else do you remember?"

She shook her head. "Hardly anything else. Except that I..." She closed her eyes, deep in thought. "I think I'm missing something of mine. Something important. But I can't remember what it is."

"Maybe you'll remember more along the way. Hm, don't you remember anything about yourself?" He questioned, flipping a switch on the console.

She opened her eyes and pondered for a while, taking a few steps, rubbing the tips of her fingers together. She liked that feeling. It helped her to calm down.

When she was done, all she could do is return a very confused look. "Not much. I can't even remember my own name. E-" She started, remembering something deep in her memory. It came back to her as if she had never forgotten in the first place. "Elisabeth. Elisabeth Choo." She pronounced her name. It felt...strange. Unfamiliar. It didn't seem real to her, more like something that was made up. _Oh well_ , she sighed. She'd focus on the matters at hand first, like getting back to her old life and getting her memory back. Whoever she was, she could discover that later. _Elisabeth._ That's how she would call herself. For now.

"If my memory serves," She continued, "I think the last place I was before I ended up in that field in the 1860s was probably...South East Asia, perhaps?" She squinted. "No, that can't be right."

"Never mind then, Elizabeth." He said, looking her in the eye. "Welcome aboard."

"Welcome aboard where?" Elizabeth exclaimed. He flicked another switch, and the screen on the wall started to display an image. An image of a galaxy. In space.

"Is that what's out there?" She strode over to the screen. "That's what's out there, right now? Outside your TAR...something of yours?"

"Yes indeed," He smiled. "That's what's out there, beyond my TARDIS." He pulled a lever, and the doors opened. Elisabeth couldn't believe her eyes.

"We're really floating in space." She gulped in pure shock and awe, looking back at him to confirm it. "Sir, we're really in space!" She turned back to the doors. The stars. Oh, the stars. Shimmering and shining in all their beauty. They flickered on and off, glittering as the whole sky was full of these little glimmering lights. They seemed so close now, much closer to her than when she was back on earth. They seemed oh so close, so close she could almost reach out and grab a handful.

"Oh, yes." He closed the doors, bringing her to her senses.

"Where are we off to?"

"Somewhere." He threw out. "You never know what you might get, with the controls all gone a bit..."

"Sir?" She piped up.

"Yes, Elisabeth?" He stopped. "Oh, may I call you Elise instead?"

"I've no problem with that." She smiled. "How may I address you?"

"Oh, I've been known by many names, but they just prefer to call me the Doctor."

She raised an eyebrow. " _Just_ the Doctor? No name, or anything?"

The Doctor sighed. "There'd be terrible circumstances." Elisabeth didn't know what he was saying, but she decided to keep silent and not question further. After all, she'd just met this man. She wasn't ready to open up fully to him.

The craft grounded to a halt, throwing the Doctor and Elisabeth off their feet. Elisabeth tumbled over, just barely missing the console. When the craft was steady, she pulled herself up, gripping the console, panting as she did so.

"What was that?" She gasped, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Oh, it's just some turbulence. We've landed." The Doctor explained, hitting the switch to open the doors again.

"We're supposed to go...out there?" She breathed, taking a few seconds to stare at what was beyond the doors.

"Why not?" The Doctor walked to the doors before stopping, turning to her. "Let's go, Elise."

She grinned as she followed his lead, her heart racing, anticipating the big adventure before her.


	3. Welcome to the Underground (1)

Elisabeth wasn't expecting the craft to be bigger on the inside.

As she stepped out of the TARDIS doors, she was expecting the craft to be more like...an actual spacecraft. A big one, she presumed, from the way that there seemed to be an infinite number of rooms and corridors.

But no, it was just a small wooden box.

"How," Elisabeth marvelled," in the world is this possible, Doctor?" She circled the box, examining it. "I simply don't understand..." Her fingers trailed along the walls of the box, trying to find out its tricks and secrets. She tapped slightly as she moved, hoping she could find the key to this box, the answer to its secret. Once she had completed a round, she turned to the Doctor, who was waiting for her, leaning on the door of the box.

"Well, you might say," He grinned, glancing at the box, "It's bigger on the inside."

"No way." Elisabeth stated, her eyes wide in excitement.

"Time Lord technology." He beamed.

"Wait, sorry, what did you just say there?" Elisabeth tried to catch onto his words.

"Oh, nothing." He glanced around. "Now, where exactly are we?"

* * *

They had materialized in a metal tunnel. Perhaps a branch of the whole system. But a whole system of what? Trains? Sewers? Elisabeth shuddered at the thought. She didn't fancy coming all the way here to be hit by a train. The cold air circulating all around didn't help, either. She wrapped her arms around herself as she surveyed the surroundings. She placed a hand on the metal wall of the tunnel – and recoiled immediately, taking a few steps back.

"What's the matter, Elise?"

"The wall's icy cold, Doctor!" She exclaimed, and he stepped up, placing a hand on the wall.

"You're indeed right. It is a little...chilly." He observed. He removed his hand from the wall and continued down the passage.

Elisabeth tried to block out the sounds as they walked. Every time her foot landed, the metal resonated, making her shudder. She tried her best not to focus on the sounds, but they kept getting inside her head.

She pondered as she walked. Perhaps it would help to pass the time, thinking about something else than walking down this long, boring corridor. She wondered about the Doctor. Who exactly was he? He was so mysterious he didn't even reveal his name, but just merely his title. Why? He'd say there'd be terrible circumstances. And what did he say about the TARDIS being...Time Lord technology?

She didn't know he'd stopped until she'd run into him. She slammed hard into his back, almost toppling the both of them over. Elisabeth brushed her hair out of her face. "Why'd you stop?"

"Listen." He instructed, and Elisabeth kept silent for a few seconds.

"So?" Elisabeth couldn't hear anything other than the clanging of metal on metal.

"Listen closely."

Elisabeth closed her eyes, blocking out her other senses. It seemed clearer to her now. Heavy, metal footsteps. She could hear the individual paces now. Stomp, stomp. She opened her eyes, taking in a sharp breath as she turned.

The metal footsteps rang throughout the corridor, striking fear into her heart.

And there it was.

It seemed enough like a person. An upright creature, with two hands and two legs. The peculiar thing was that some of those limbs weren't made of flesh, but of metal. As he got closer Elisabeth could see how he looked now. His facial features were nothing special. Just another ordinary man. But this was no ordinary man. Were his legs encased in metal armor? Or did the man have his legs replaced by these columns of steel?

He didn't move very fast, moving along in a clunking manner. His eyes were trained on the Doctor as he drew near. "You, there. What's your business in these parts?" He demanded, planting a foot on the ground firmly.

"Well, we were just passing by. We're nothing more than just two lonely travellers, running across the galaxy for a bit of adventure." The Doctor casually threw out, but the man continued to have the same, serious expression on his face. He behaved in a mechanical way, like a robot. If she could just concentrate...perhaps she could just hear the buzzing of electricity coming from his torso.

"All trespassers will be brought to the headquarters." The man threatened, holding up a gun and pointing it at the Doctor. He reached into his belt and pulled out a second gun, which he pointed at Elisabeth. "If you try anything funny, the two of you, you'll be shot dead. Now move along!" He yelled, making Elizabeth jump. She started walking, taking one step at a time. Shivers ran down her spine. Was this expected, when travelling with the Doctor? Would she want to continue on with him, if it were so dangerous every time?

"Move faster, girl!"

Elisabeth picked up her pace. As she walked she clenched her fists, her arms stiff at her sides.

"Are you alright?" Elisabeth heard the Doctor whisper as he walked alongside her. "I'm sorry this had to happen on our first adventure."

"Keep quiet, you!" The man shouted. Elisabeth cursed under her breath. How could his hearing be so good, to pick up what the Doctor was saying? Elisabeth herself couldn't really hear him clearly, but how did he manage hear him?

"And you too, girl! Shut up and keep walking!"

Elisabeth kept her mouth shut and walked ahead, putting her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Her left hand closed around Caroline's wallet, but there seemed to be something else in the pocket. A brooch pin, she presumed, just by feeling around. A round button, with a pin at the back. She wondered whether it had come along with Caroline's belongings, or perhaps she had just picked it up from somewhere else.

It was only minutes later when they exited the passageway into a huge warehouse. The whole structure was made of metal, not a concrete beam or brick wall in sight. Everything was fully metal here. Metal, some of it left unpainted and gleaming and shining in the artificial light. The whole place was as bright as a star. Elisabeth wished she had a pair of sunglasses.

The metal didn't just belong on the machinery and the building. It belonged on the people themselves. Elisabeth had never seen such a strange community before. People with metal limbs and torsos, some almost covered completely in metal, so they looked like that C-3PO robot from the Star Wars movies. _Wait. Star Wars?_ She remembered this movie from her childhood, when she went to watch it in the cinema with her family. It was her first visit to the cinema, and the memories stuck with her for life. Alright. The Doctor was right about her being from the 20th or 21st century. Clever young chap.

The Doctor and Elisabeth were ushered into a small elevator, and they held their breaths as the elevator car plunged. Deep, down into the ground, whizzing past miles of rock and stone.

As the doors finally opened, Elisabeth was feeling giddy, and it took her all her willpower to stay upright. The Doctor wasn't looking very stable either.

But he seemed to recover faster than Elisabeth did. "Alright, so would you tell us where exactly we are now?" He inquired. The man behind him pushed him forward with his gun. "Out you go, you two."

The two obliged, stepping out of the elevator car.

"Mm, trespassers."

It wasn't the man who led them here who spoke, but somebody else. They were pushed forward, into the office. Waiting for them there, at the desk, was a woman. Or at least, she looked like one enough to pass off as one. But it was obvious that even she'd been replacing parts of her body with metal, like the other people of this community did. The wires visible at her throat, her hair made of strands of metal, her robot fingers...

...the half of her face which was replaced with metal.

Elisabeth wondered about the possibilities. What could have happened to her? An accident at the workplace, at the factories that she'd seen on the way here? But no, this was not any working class citizen of the community. Instead of iron and steel adorning her body, she instead had parts of gold. Why gold? Any idiot would know that gold was one of the softest metals, and wouldn't do much as armor. Instead this was a show of wealth, of power.

"Before we bury your bodies we'd like to know why you're here." She spoke in a monotone, robotic tone. Elizabeth noticed the small square compartment on the side of the woman's throat, and wondered whether it was a robotic voice box.

"We're just passing by." Elizabeth stepped forward. "Now would you tell us where we are?"

The woman laughed, a gurgling, stuttering sound emitting from the metal box at her throat. "Patience, girl. You'll know in due time. Or perhaps not at all, because you'll be dead when we tell you."

"How will you kill us?"

The woman tutted. "Oh, my dear, do you really want to know? If you really must know how you're going to die, we usually execute prisoners by firing squad. You'll be blown apart. Blood and organs all over the place. Your blood splattered across the walls to join the dried stains of those who came before you." The woman wrinkled her nose. "Not a very nice way to go, but it serves for entertainment. The people will be pleased."

Elisabeth recoiled in disgust.

"We mean no harm," The Doctor promised, raising both his hands.

"We'll keep you here for now. But I'd like to see the girl first for a short while." The woman waved her hand to signal the guard. "Take him away."

The guard stepped forward and dragged the Doctor away, despite his protests. Elisabeth's heart sunk. Was she going to make it out alive on her own?

"Oh, you'll survive, probably."

Elisabeth blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I can read your mind," The woman affirmed. "I know every single thought running through there."

"How?" Elisabeth leaned forward.

"Technology nowadays..." She sighed. "You've a brilliant mind, girl."

"Well, thank you...?" Elisabeth didn't know how to respond.

"You know, it'd be good if we put that mind to good use..." The woman contemplated, stepping out from behind her desk, circling Elisabeth like a hungry hyena.

"How?" Elisabeth trembled.

"An experiment." She declared. "We'd like to explore the concept of photographic memory."

"Well, you're not doing it on me. Go find someone else." Elisabeth spat.

"It seems like you don't have a choice, girl..." She said in a rather sing-song way, which was miraculous despite the fact that she spoke through an artificial device.

"No, I don't understand! You can't just do experiments on people!"

"You're not any ordinary person," She started. "You're a prisoner now."

"Wait," Elisabeth stopped herself. "If you could read my mind, and the Doctor's, you'd know that we were only just stopping by. So why'd you keep us here?"

"You're smart, as I said. Pity about the mental block."

"Wha..." Elisabeth tilted her head sideways. "You just want me, don't you? And what was that you said about the mental block?"

"How old are you, Elisabeth?" She leaned on her desk, bending down slightly to match Elisabeth's eye level. "Twenty, twenty five, perhaps?"

"I don't remember." Elisabeth stated with a defiant air.

"Exactly. Mental block. You've got more years of experience than you know."

"Tell me, then."

"No." She stood, and walked back behind the desk.

"Where am I?" Elisabeth demanded. "I insist on knowing where I am."

"Oh, if you will, dear..." The woman pulled away, going to the desk where she flipped a switch, and a set of window blinds rose, revealing another vast hangar like the one she saw earlier on her way here. Filled with machines, she could hear the clunking and the pounding clearly despite the thick glass separating the office from the chamber.

"Welcome to the Underground."


	4. Welcome to the Underground (2)

"What sort of place is this? The Underground? That sounds a little...generic to me." Elisabeth jested, peering through the glass window.

"I don't like your attitude, girl. If I were you I'd get rid of the snark," The woman sighed. "It's a pity you're perfect for our little experiment."

"Why would I want to take part in your experiment?"

The woman sniffed. "First, you don't have a choice. You're _going_ to take part in our little Project Memory. Secondly, aren't you just a little curious, Elisabeth? Aren't you a little curious to know what it would be like to remember anything? You can't even remember who you are right now. A little memory boost might help."

"It may be a blessing, but it may also be a curse."

"You are right," The woman shrugged. "But for now let's focus on the blessings. We'll all benefit from this experiment. You and I, and the research centre. It's just that...you're going to have to bear the 'curse' on your own."

"Why should I be the experiment?" Elisabeth emphasised. "There are thousands of your people out there. Why me?"

"You're expendable. And so is your Doctor." The woman laughed, before turning to her guards. "Alright. Let's _ge Whot_ down to business. Guards!" She ordered, slamming her hand on the table. "Lock her up. Get her used to our way of life here."

Elisabeth struggled as the guards restrained her. The cold metal of their robotic hands against her skin made her shiver. "No! Please don't," She pleaded, kicking and struggling.

"Oh, my dear, I'd like to say I'm sorry but...I'm really not." The woman stepped forward, putting a syringe to Elisabeth's neck.

"Any last words?"

Elisabeth fell to the floor as the contents of the syringe entered her system.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Elisabeth slowly opened her eyes to the sound. _Knock_ _ed out twice in one day._ She cursed her luck as she sat upright in her cell. It seemed like any other prison cell, to be honest. Nothing much, just a simple board for a bed. She leaned against the wall. How boring it was. Enclosed by metal walls on three sides, with the remaining side barred.

She sighed.

Her heart raced with thoughts on the experiment. She was to be their first subject. She couldn't fathom the consequences of the experiment. If it succeeded, she would have perfect memory. But that meant that all memories, both good and bad, would be stored in her mind, and she'd be able to recall it in a flash. That would make good memories all the more sweet, but the bad memories would be even more painful. But what if the experiment failed? She knew that there was a chance of risk, that she could end up dead or possible mentally traumatized after the experiment. She didn't know what was after death, and she probably didn't want to know yet.

Shaking her head, she tried to focus on brighter things.

 _Who on earth was she?_

She still wasn't fully sure. _Elisabeth. Elisabeth Choo._ It didn't seem real to her. It seemed to her just a name picked out of the fresh air. She wondered how much she knew was real. She didn't quite feel comfortable being called 'Elisabeth'. She felt that the name didn't belong to her. But what else did she recall?

 _South East Asia. But where exactly?_ Elisabeth tried to picture her living out her childhood in such a place. It seemed probable, but she couldn't be a hundred percent sure. But how about her parents? Were they now out looking for her, who had just disappeared in a flash, leaving no traces behind?

 _Art. I used to work with art._ She recalled this thought from earlier. As she concentrated her fingers tapped out a rhythm on the metal wall, striking with her fingernails, trying to amplify the sound, as it seemed to help her think. First her pinky, and then her ring finger, then back to her pinky, then back to her ring finger. She stopped herself. This wasn't any random string of rhythm mic pattern. She closed her eyes. If she thought hard enough the melody of Beethoven's Bagatelle in A minor came back to her, the one known more famously as 'Fur Elise'. Perhaps this was something from her childhood. She tried to visulalise herself playing the piano, creating beautiful melodies as her fingers fluttered around the keys. A teacher sitting next to her, instructing her on the expression of the piece, and correcting any mistakes in her fingering. Well, that seemed just about right to her. Now she understood. She used to work with the art of sound, not the visual arts as she had thought.

"I take it that you're awake now?"

Elisabeth's heart skipped a beat. "Doctor, you're making me jump!"

"I'm terribly sorry," The Doctor apologised, but Elisabeth couldn't see where he was. In another cell, separated by a wall. "Must be the acoustics of this place."

"I'm alright." She assured herself. It certainly wasn't his voice that made her jump. He usually spoke in smooth, quiet tones. She'd already gotten used to it in the short time since she met him. He was right about the acoustics – the walls seemed to amplify sound. Every sound, even the slightest whisper, was made much louder as it echoed throughout the prison.

Elisabeth pulled her knees to her chest. "Doctor, I'm scared," She admitted, shivering a little in the cold prison.

He kept silent for a while, perhaps thinking what to say next. "I'd be appalled if you weren't. I'm so sorry you had to go through this on our first trip – I'm perfectly fine with dropping you back on earth right after, if you'd want." He sighed.

"Doctor, I don't even remember where I came from. I...don't want to go back."

"We'll work something out, Elise."

"Do you think I'll ever get my memories back after the experiment, Doctor?" Elisabeth asked for his opinion, and held her breath at his answer.

"I can never be sure, I'm sorry to say."

Elisabeth's heart raced as she buried her head in her hands. She was deathly scared of what was to come next. She had a risk of dying in the experiment, she knew. She didn't want to face death. Not so soon. She didn't know what was beyond. What if the afterlife was just a great nothing, for all eternity? She didn't want to think of that. She didn't honestly knew what she believed in anymore.

She took a few deep breaths. _Stay strong, Elise._ She encouraged herself.

She licked her lips while thinking of what to say. To keep her mind off things, she would make light conversation.

"Doctor, where exactly are you?" She asked.

"I think I'm in the cell to your left. The one closer to the corridor where we came in."

She peered out from the bars of her cell. _How strange._ There wasn't a single person in sight. Not even a guard.

"Why aren't there any guards?" Elisabeth wondered.

The Doctor pondered for a while. "This prison was built to be impenetrable. Also, I think Madam Arwen doesn't have enough of her men to spare."

"Madam Arwen?"

"The woman. The governor of the Underground." He explained. "I overheard from the workers on the way here."

"What exactly is this place, the Underground?"

"A set of underground networks built into a planet which never receives sunlight. I'd say it's about... A billion billion light years from Earth." He hesitated. "That's an estimation."

"Woah." Elisabeth gasped. "Then why are there humans here?"

"They're not quite humans anymore. Just descendants of what used to be the inhabitants of your planet. These people are a race of mixed blood. A fraction human, a fraction well...alien. They took ages and ages to get here. Some of their ancestors settled on other life-supporting planets and their offspring with the locals continued their journey across the galaxy." He suggested.

Elisabeth laughed. "I don't understand any of this."

"I don't blame you. It's complicated." The Doctor yawned. "It must be getting late."

Elisabeth couldn't see a clock anywhere, nor could she see any source of sunlight. Her eyelids were drooping too – after the exertion of this tiring day coupled with the serum she had been injected with. She crawled over to the mattress and closed her eyes.

* * *

The Doctor didn't expect to encounter such a rude awakening.

"No! Unhand me at once!" Elisabeth's screams echoed throughout the prison, and the Doctor couldn't help himself. He moved to the bars of his cell, watching as Elisabeth was dragged out by the guards. He knew he had to do something. Elisabeth was in his care. He was responsible for her safety.

"Let her go!" He yelled, but the guards ignored him. He could only stand in horror as Elisabeth's screams got further and further away, until they disappeared altogether.

He pressed his forehead to the cold, metal bar.

She had to make it out alive. Or he would never forgive himself.

 _Adric._ The one he couldn't save. The one that was left behind on the craft as it plummeted towards Earth. He didn't want the same to come to any of his companions. He knew the guilt of Adric's death would forever hang over him. So he had to try his best.

 _A duty of care._ He felt like a father to his companions. Throughout the years there had been many of them, and most of them departed safely (but not necessarily, happy) to continue with their lives. He remembered Tegan, who had just left him just a while ago. She had been him for quite some time, and he'd grown used to her. That was a mistake. He knew that his companions would always leave, just like they always did. She'd left him after all the death, all the blood spilt. He was reluctant to see her go, but he understood. It seemed uncanny, this regeneration. Death just seemed to follow him around. More than usual, that is.

He knew that he was definitely going to send Elisabeth back to Earth after this. For her health.

* * *

Elisabeth kicked and protested as she was strapped down to the operating table. She had been forced out of her clothes, into a hospital gown that was probably made of cheap polyester. She held on to her belongings for dear life. Caroline's wallet, and the brooch pin. She couldn't bear losing those. They were wrenched out of her cold, stiff hands, and the hospital staff promised to return them to her after the operation, after some negotiation with Madam Arwen.

A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as they started to prepare, hooking her up to machines. She felt pain, a sharp pain when the needles were inserted. She didn't dare move in fear of busting a blood vessel. Madam Arwen loomed over her, scrutinizing her.

"Are you ready, my pet?" She crooned, moving in closer to touch a strand of Elisabeth's hair. Elisabeth wanted to raise an arm to hit her, but her arm was firmly fastened to the table. She bared her teeth in defiance instead.

"Oh, my dear, you're going to be fantastic!" Madam Arwen rejoyced.

"What are you going to do with me after you've run your little experiments?" Elisabeth growled, as she started to lose consciousness. She now knew that at least one of the needles inserted into her was now draining anesthetic into her, and the operation would begin shortly. It took all her willpower to stay awake, just enough to her Madam Arwen's answer.

"Oh, we'll lock you up and wait till you have further use."

Elisabeth nearly snapped.

"You...you can't just dispose of me like this!" Elisabeth got out, but her eyelids were already starting to droop. She tried again to stay focused, but it was too late. Her mind protested as she slipped away, into the darkness, not knowing what would happen, or whether she would make it out alive.


	5. Welcome to the Underground (3)

"Good-morning, dear," Madam Arwen sang as she stood over Elisabeth, her voice cracking slightly due to the imperfections of her artificial voice box.

"I'm nobody's dear," Elisabeth taunted, earning a disgusted look from Madam Arwen.

"You've still got the guts to snark at me, you little thing. Now don't be rude to me, Elisabeth, or I'll have you and your friend ended. Let's put you through some tests, shall we?" Madam Arwen asked, loosening the straps that bound her to the table. Elisabeth felt the warm blood rush back into her hands. She slipped off the table, landing her bare feet on the cold floor. She didn't feel anything strange, anything different yet. But she knew that they, these people had done something to her.

Elisabeth winced as the guard fastened handcuffs around her wrists, and she was jostled forward. She almost stumbled, but kept her balance and stayed upright.

"Hurry. She doesn't like to be kept waiting." The guard ordered, pressing the barrel of her gun to Elisabeth's neck. She moved, always aware of the metal ring that was pressed to the skin of her neck. Elisabeth kicked her gown as she walked. She didn't like it, as it was rather loose-fitting and had the tendency to float around her.

Elisabeth stepped into the next room, standing before Madam Arwen as the guard behind her closed the door.

"Take a seat," Madam Arwen offered, gesturing to the chair in the centre of the room.

"I'd rather stand," Elisabeth remarked, almost wanting to cross her arms, but that would've been embarassing if she were to try to pull her arms in front of her.

"I insist that you sit." Madam Arwen insisted, gesturing once again.

"I'd just like to-"

"JUST SIT!" Madam Arwen barked, and Elisabeth complied. She didn't want to know what this woman was really capable of doing. Those robotic fingers looked like they could tear a man right in half.

Elisabeth shuffled nervously in her seat as Madam Arwen prepared her test. She tapped away on the computer, when a bleeping sound came out of nowhere.

 _What on earth is that noise?_ Elisabeth wondered. Madam Arwen picked up a small communication device on her table and began to speak into it. So that was what that noise was. The ringtone of her phone. Elisabeth honestly thought that her choice of ringtone was absolutely atrocious. Couldn't she have chosen something more tasteful?

"Oh, yes, our client. We're about to start, so if it's nothing urgent, I'll just-"

Madam Arwen put down her communication device.

"Now, shall we begin?"

"Madam Arwen, you asked for your tea."

A guard entered the room. She wore the drab, grey uniform of an officer. Like the others, she had several parts of her body replaced by metal. Her face was young, fresh and bright. Her hair was cut short, and she had a bright streak of green hair amidst her raven-black hair. Her hands shook slightly as she carried the cup to Madam Arwen, and she set it down on some papers. Immediately, Madam Arwen shrieked. "Look at what you've done! Lannister, I expected more from you." She moved the cup. "Now get me the sugar."

"Yes, Madam Arwen." The guard crossed the room, retrieving the can of sugar. She returned, pouring spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her tea. Madam Arwen pushed her away in disgust. "That's far too much sugar! Get out, Lannister. You've done enough for the day. And I thought you, an officer, would know better!" The guard backed away, quickening her pace as she left the room.

"Could I get someone to hand me a cloth?" Madam Arwen yelled.

Silence.

"Where are you reliable guards where I need you?"

"Ma'am?" Lannister poked her head through the door again.

"Stay out of here, Lannister." She barked, and Lannister disappeared.

"I'd like to get it done and over with." Elisabeth huffed as she sat back in her chair, her eyes glancing about the room. She was seated in front of a screen, which was now blank. To her left was the desk, and Madam Arwen. To her right were a couple of bookshelves, filled to the brim with reading material. She tried to read the titles on the spines, but she realised that her vision was not as good as she thought. She hadn't noticed it earlier, as this was a rather mild case, it seemed. She squinted, trying to read again. Oh dear. She was going to need a pair of glasses. Why didn't she have a pair on her, if her condition had always been this way?

"I guess you'll need a pair of these." Madam Arwen approached Elisabeth, sliding a pair of spectacles onto her face. She tried not to flinch too hard, but her discomfort was rather evident.

"You read my mind, I guess," Elisabeth presumed.

"I know," Madam Arwen nodded before going back to her computer. She made her final adjustments, and a string of numbers appeared on the screen, which immediately disappeared, in less than a second.

"Now I'd like to you read those numbers back to me." Madam Arwen instructed.

"That's impossible!" Elisabeth cried.

Madam Arwen sighed. "Close your eyes, girl. Try to recall it in your mind."

Elisabeth did as she was told. Amazingly, the image of the numbers came back to her. It was like viewing a photograph in her brain – just as Madam Arwen had said, photographic memory.

"Three point one seven five zero eight two." Elisabeth recalled, still closing her eyes.

"Mm. As we expected. But that's just the beginning of our string of tests."

Elisabeth opened her eyes again, shocked by her own abilities.

"We're moving on to longer numbers now, just in case you thought this was going to be a piece of cake." Madam Arwen warned, clicking a few more numbers into her computer. As Elisabeth continued to follow orders and proceed with the tests, she found that she was getting used to the ability. Recalling anything, it seemed, was as simple as it could be. She didn't need to worry about scanning the material carefully. She was able to absorb most material once she saw it. It seemed that her eyes were a camera, and the images stored in her mind for further reference. And these memories didn't seem to fade, even though Elisabeth thought that they were merely stored in her short-term memory. No, her mind was like the hard drive of a computer, able to seemingly store tons and tons of information. Elisabeth marvelled at how a technological breakthrough was even possible.

It wasn't even a thinking process for her any more. It became a natural instinct, for her to remember everything that she saw.

Madam Arwen was pleased with the results.

"Our client will be very happy with you," Madam Arwen announced from behind her desk.

"Client?" Elisabeth started. "Didn't you say that you had no purpose for me?"

"There's been a change of plans, I'm afraid," Madam Arwen sighed. "Well, I'm more concerned for you, as I'm actually going to profit from this situation. We're transferring you out. And your...your what again?"

"He's not my _what..._ we've only just met." Elisabeth insisted, wanting to make it clear. "And why did you change your mind so quickly?"

Madam Arwen laughed, a guttural, hoarse sound coming from her voice box. "Maybe I've never changed my mind. Maybe all along I lied to you. We're making the trade tomorrow morning. This will be so profitable. And we've got to get your ready. Our client here will not be waiting." She walked over to Elisabeth and pressed a scanner to her head. Pulled the trigger. Elisabeth heard a pop before pulling away.

"What was that?" Elisabeth inquired, turning slightly in her seat.

"Manual erase. I erased the content of the tests from your mind. Now clear your mind and close your eyes." Madam Arwen ordered.

"I...I don't–"

"Do as you are told." Madam Arwen snapped. Elisabeth closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

"You can open your eyes now."

"What have you done?" Elisabeth asked.

Madam Arwen walked back to her desk, with a cartridge-like cylinder in hand. "Nothing much," She sat down once again at her computer, avoiding the subject. After a few moments, she walked back to Elisabeth. "Close your eyes again."

Elisabeth shut her eyes tight, not wanting to know what Madam Arwen was doing.

"Open your eyes. You'll be on your way back to your quarters."

Elisabeth stood, turning towards the door.

"You're no good, you lot. I hate liars." Elisabeth proclaimed, as she walked away.

"Oh, but everyone lies. Even you do, from time to time, Elisabeth." Madam Arwen reminded. Elisabeth wanted to open her mouth to respond, but she was ordered away by the guards.

"You've had a tough day, haven't you?" The guard asked, as she walked Elisabeth back to the prison.

"Tough? Sheesh. I don't understand how you can work under such a woman." Elisabeth said under her breath. The guard put a hand on her shoulder, getting her to turn around.

"Hey!" Elisabeth protested. "Sorry, I...I..."

"Sorry," The guard replied, removing her hand from Elisabeth's shoulder. She looked around, making sure nobody was around. She turned back to Elisabeth when she realised they were alone.

"Promise me not to tell anyone." She whispered, undoing Elisabeth's handcuffs. Elisabeth looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face.

"There." She finished, keeping the cuffs on hand. Elisabeth shook her wrists, letting the blood flow back into her hands.

"I'm Jay. Jay Lannister. You must be Elisabeth."

"Yes, I am..." Elisabeth's voice trailed off. "What did you get me here for? Madam Arwen's selling me off tomorrow."

"Madam Arwen won't be here tomorrow." Jay stated, getting Elisabeth's attention. "We've been plotting against her. We're destroying the whole thing tomorrow."

"The whole planet? But Jay, you can't–"

"Elisabeth, it's more dangerous than you think. She wants to start a war. She's been treating us like dirt. Always been. She's only ruling over our little planet here because she poisoned the other leaders. She doesn't only have this planet. She has an empire." Jay explained. "We're ending her reign of tyranny."

"You can't just–" Elisabeth protested. "You can't just do..."

"We are going to be free." Jay said, and Elisabeth could hear the promise in her voice.

"And how about me? And the Doctor?" Elisabeth asked.

Jay smiled, as if she had been thinking this through the whole time. "You two will escape. I can guarantee you tomorrow that you'll be free." Her confidence was as bright as the green streak in her hair. Bold and brave, Jay made the perfect resistance fighter.

"How? How do you intend to destroy the Underground?"

"We've set up the explosives already. The lower levels will crumble first." Jay strategized. "Then the upper layers, and finally the whole planet will crumble to dust. Our metal structures should be sturdy enough to allow you and your friend just enough time to escape. With Madam Arwen gone, that's one major pillar of the corrupt government gone."

"But how about you? And the rest of the people?" Elisabeth breathed, utterly shocked by Jay's plan. She was planning to destroy the whole planet – along with the innocent people that just happened to inhabit the planet?

"I'll get to an escape craft. Me and the others. We'll be fine. And as for the people...some of them have already been brainwashed by her. Had computers installed in their skulls for brains. They're at her beck and call. No point sparing the servants. They're programmed to follow Arwen's and Arwen's orders only." Jay answered.

"What if Arwen gets to the craft first?"

"She won't. We kill her first chance we get, when she tries to escape. We'll make it look like an accident, so we won't be held responsible for her murder."

"You were saying the lower levels? Isn't that where the prison's kept?" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to have to be fast. I'm just warning you. Make a double left after you exit the prison, and then a right to the escalator. You know where your craft's kept?" Jay asked.

"Uh..." Elisabeth shut her eyes, bringing back the memory of being marched down to the prison the morning before. "I think I've got it all planned out."

"Oh, you and the ultra memory. Clever girl. Make use of that whenever you can." Jay almost let out a smile. "Now, I've got to get you back to the cell lest I risk us being caught." Elisabeth turned around again and let her fasten the cuffs again.

"What makes you think I can trust you, Jay?" Elisabeth had to make sure Jay wasn't going to turn on her.

"You don't have much time to," Jay smiled. "But you better."

"Am I going to see you again tomorrow?" Elisabeth asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. If we both survive this, maybe we should...see each other again." Jay assured, leading her back to her cell.

"I retrieved these for you. Good luck, Elisabeth." Jay held out Caroline's wallet and the brooch pin, tucking it into the pocket of Elisabeth's jeans, before closing the door on her cell.

Elisabeth spent the next few hours pacing back and forth in her cell. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, to be honest.

"Doctor, we're in great danger." Elisabeth announced, tapping on the wall connecting the Doctor's cell and hers.

"Yes? Elise, has something happened?" The Doctor answered.

"They're blowing this planet apart. We're going to have to be fast if we want to get out alive." Elisabeth explained briefly, leaning against the wall.

"Then what do you suggest we do to prepare?"

"We spend tonight awake. Or we'll be caught off guard." Elisabeth got out, fear in her heart as she anticipated the unknown.

* * *

The walls shook, jolting Elisabeth to her senses. The explosions much have begun. _Boom. Boom._ Elisabeth could hear the blasts, getting nearer and nearer. Elisabeth crept to the wall, tapping on it. "Doctor?"

"It's happening," The Doctor remarked, and one final blast went off, and the ceiling started to cave in, crushing the bars, bending them. Elisabeth dodged a flying bar as a piece snapped off, creating an exit for her. She climbed out, relieved to find the Doctor's cell in the same condition. Without saying another word, Elisabeth took off for the elevator, the Doctor quick on her heels. There was not much time left, as Elisabeth knew that the metal tunnels couldn't hold up for long. She pulled the Doctor into the elevator, and they shot up, far from where they were. The car jolted and shook, and Elisabeth held her breath, hoping she would make it out alive.

Once the doors opened, she dashed out. Blinking once, she tried to recall the image. Taking the lead once again, she dashed down corridors, not stopping to look back. The tunnels groaned and creaked. Elisabeth opened her eyes and stopped herself in the nick of time, sliding to a stop just in front of a burning pile of debris. She turned, only to find Jay and the Doctor trying to catch up.

"I forgot to tell you, that exit's blocked!" Jay yelled, and Elisabeth started to make her way back out of the corridor. Jay waited, holding up the back.

"Where's Arwen?" Elisabeth inquired, wanting to know more about the situation.

"Dead." Jay reported. "I killed her with my own gun."

"Are you the leader of the resistance?" The Doctor asked.

"We don't have a clear leader." Jay shrugged.

Elisabeth dived to her left as a piece of the ceiling crashed down. "Watch out!" The two behind her tried to react. Jay was faster than the Doctor was, pushing him out of the way as the ceiling gave way, and Elisabeth heard a sickening crunch as the piece landed, crushing Jay from the waist down. Elisabeth turned around, bending down next to Jay, hearing her ragged breaths.

"I can't make it out of this. I think my leg's broken." Jay admitted, reaching out to Elisabeth, taking Elisabeth's flesh hand in her metal one. "It hurts," Jay groaned. The Doctor attempted to shift the piece of debris off, and Elisabeth rushed to help. It was grueling, like trying to lift a train.

"We'll get you out, Jay, we're trying! Just hang on," The Doctor assured.

Jay looked back at Elisabeth with a look of desolation in her eyes. "Leave me. Or..." She struggled, taking her gun from her belt. "Kill me here and now. I can't suffer for much longer."

"Jay, no! We're getting you out of here. After your help." Elisabeth pleaded.

"Elise, we can't stay for long..." The Doctor remarked, trying again with one big heave to push the debris off Jay, but it was futile. He stood up, straightening his back, taking a few breaths.

"Elisabeth..." Jay tossed her gun to her. "Just do it. My job's done anyway."

"I can't. You don't deserve a death like this. You don't deserve to die like this."

"I'm a murderer, Elisabeth..." Jay choked on the smoke. "The least you could do is leave me here."

"Elise!" The Doctor warned, pushing Elisabeth out of the way again as the ceiling gave way once again. When the debris settled, Elisabeth leapt up again, yelling as hard as she could, hoping Jay could hear her, but there was only silence. Nothing but silence and the fires crackling. The Doctor pulled her away, still disoriented from shock. She didn't think she would have to witness a death like this. If only she hadn't noticed the flames earlier, and made a turn back earlier. Jay would've still been alive, had they not stopped for so long. She didn't have to die.

Elisabeth decided that she hated unnecessary deaths.

Elisabeth tried her best, recalling the corridors, but the image of Jay was still fresh in her mind. She could still see Jay lying there, her face covered in blood and soot. Her cracking voice as she begged Elisabeth to release her from life. The desperation in her eyes. The smell of blood and smoke that remained of the aftermath of her death. She fought bravely for the people she cared for and died bravely.

As they ran people screamed, as they were shot, burned and crushed. Such ear-piercing screams. Elisabeth wished she didn't have to hear them.

"Left...I think. We can't be far." Elisabeth's voice wavered. She dropped the Doctor's hand as she ran ahead again. She was so relieved to see the blue box standing there. Refuge. Safety. The faster they got out of this place, the better. It would take her mind off Jay, and the disaster.

Elisabeth had never been so shaken in her life. As the Doctor hammered at the console Elisabeth couldn't do anything but stand there in shock. She felt a deep numbness, a deep emptiness where her feelings should have been. _Oh, Jay...I should have saved you when I could..._ Elisabeth reflected.

The TARDIS whirred as it started off, travelling through the vast void of time and space. There was only silence, silence except for the whirring engines of the TARDIS.

"D-Doctor?" Elisabeth trembled, going up to him, and he reached out to her, but she pulled away, whipping away from him. She buried her face in her hands as she sat in the corner of the room. He followed, sitting on the floor next to her. He could hear her sobbing, as silent as she tried to be.

"Elise, I'm so sorry, I really am..." The Doctor apologised, as Elisabeth lifted her head. Was that shock on his face? He lifted a hand near to Elisabeth's temple. "May I?"

Elisabeth nodded his head, and he moved forward, brushing aside a lock of her hair, his fingers gently making contact with her temple. Except that it didn't feel...normal anymore.

"What have they done to you?" The Doctor furrowed his brow in confusion and shock. "Oh dear," He sighed. "They seem to have implanted a processing device into your head. The thing that enables your photographic memory, I suppose." He moved his fingers over her temple softly, his skin making contact with hers ever so slightly as his fingers flitted about. "I think you may want to take a look at this..." He walked her over to the TARDIS console, letting her see her reflection in the mirror.

A silver-grey stud was in place of where the skin covering her temple should have been.

"I need to sit down," Elisabeth groaned, and the Doctor led her down the TARDIS corridors to a sitting room, letting her sink back onto a soft chair. She took a few minutes to get her bearings, for the images were still fresh in her mind. She let the images sink back into her subconscious, determined to never let her mind bring it up ever again.

"I think...it's best I send you back to Earth." The Doctor suggested.

"I don't know. I don't know where I'm from. I...I..." Elisabeth stammered.

"Maybe a holiday to make up for what's happened? Somewhere pleasant?"

"Perhaps..." Elisabeth nodded. "It'll help me recover perhaps."

"Let's be off then." The Doctor started. "Or do you need a break?"

"The faster I'm able to receive new information the better. Why not now?" Elisabeth said, a smile returning to her face, albeit a shaky one. She presumed that the more information she retained the better. That would make it easier to push the recent horror to the back of her mind, and with luck she'd forget it completely. She got up, wishing for a peaceful, quiet place where she would be able to restore her mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! How are you guys liking the story so far? It'd really help if you'd be able to leave a review on my story- so that I know how to improve on from here, story-wise, writing-wise etc. I'm wrapping up this little 'episode' and moving onto a new one. I'm trying a crossover with the show 'All Creatures Great and Small', but since it'll be a quick two-chapter story I probably won't be putting the story in the crossover category (it'd be hard to find, since the acgas fandom on ff. Net is tiny.) If you've watched the show you'd probably know why I chose this fandom.**


	6. The Doctor's Doppelgänger (1)

"How am I looking, Doctor?" Elisabeth emerged from her room, stepping into the TARDIS console room. She tugged on her white hat, hoping it would cover more of her hair, or whatever that was left of it.

"What have you done?" The Doctor asked, coming nearer and whipping off her hat, exposing her short, cropped hair, which she had done herself. Mentally, Elisabeth almost laughed at the shock on the Doctor's face. "You've cut nearly all your hair off!"

"Most of it was singed off in the first place. I did the best I could with whatever that was left. Honestly, I find this hairstyle an improvement over the last." Elisabeth proclaimed, reaching up to smooth her hair down. She snatched her hat back from the Doctor. "I'll have that back, if you please..."

"You're feeling a lot better, I presume?" The Doctor asked.

"I try not to dwell on such horrid matters." Elisabeth trembled, the image of Jay buried in the crushed layers of the underground still fresh and vivid in her mind. She turned away, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"I–I'm sorry." The Doctor apologised, wanting to reach out to her but he knew how she would respond. He had learnt to kept his distance, ever since they had left the underground.

"Hm. What are those?" The Doctor pointed to the glasses hanging from the collar of Elisabeth's shirt. He moved forward and removed the glasses gently, turning them over in his hands.

"They seem to work for me. I didn't know how Madam Arwen managed to find a set of glasses that suited me perfectly." Elisabeth admitted, watching intently as the Doctor inspected the glasses, peering through the lenses with a quizzical expression on his face.

"I've never seen anything like this before. Sensors that calculate the size and shape of your eyeball. Then according to that, it shifts the lenses at a microscopic scale to match your eyesight," The Doctor explained, sliding them back onto Elisabeth's face.

"Anyway." Elisabeth walked over to the console. "Where are we headed?"

"Earth, the 1940s. Yorkshire Dales. Quite a nice peaceful place for a getaway, I must say..." The Doctor trailed off. Elisabeth scanned the coordinates on the console screen. Strings of strings of numbers. How the Doctor managed to remember so much information was impossible.

"Doctor, how exactly does the TARDIS travel?" Elisabeth curiously inquired, propping up her head on her arm as she rested against the console.

"It's complicated technology. If I tried to explain it to you, you wouldn't get it. Not in the next hundred years, I suppose." The Doctor smiled. "In all its simplicity it is simply a machine that breaks the boundaries that bind time and space in a strict continuous manner."

"You said something about...Time Lords, the last time I asked?" Elisabeth squinted, wanting him to go on.

"Not from this world." The Doctor simply put it, brushing off her inquiry.

Elisabeth stopped herself before going on. "You. An alien."

"I thought you would've guessed it by now."

"I'm interested to know. You look so much like one of my kind...are there any qualities that distinguish your species from mine?"

"Most notably, two hearts." The Doctor threw out casually, as if it wasn't such a strange and otherworldly phenomenon.

Elisabeth's jaw dropped in shock. "You've got to be kidding me."

"When do I joke around with you?" The Doctor offered his hand. "Here, I'll show you."

Elisabeth hesitated before reaching out. The Doctor took her hand in his, and raised it to his throat. Taking her fingers, he guided them to rest over a main artery. There it was - the unmistakable beating of a double-pulse under her fingertips. She lingered for a moment before pulling away in amazement. "I don't know what to say." Elisabeth remarked. He was telling the truth. There was no way he could fake the double pulse she had just felt. She had doubted him before. But after her first adventure (or rather, near-death experience) with him, she didn't know what to believe in anymore. Whatever humans believed to be impossible - was this all because the humans couldn't accept the real truth behind the secrets of the universe?

The Doctor kept silent but turned to the console, reading over the coordinates. "Yes, this seems to be the right place," He confirmed, looking Elisabeth up and down. "You know, I think you should go and find something in the closet that's more appropriate for this time and place. You don't want to be scaring the locals."

"If you say so then," Elisabeth firmly replied, sweeping her hair over to cover the unsightly, unhuman stud that sat at her temple. Her smile slightly faded, as her hand went up to her temple. _No,_ she told herself. She had to forget about what happened in the Underground. She directed her thoughts away as she wandered back into the TARDIS in search for the closet.

* * *

"Nice place," Elisabeth threw out as she stepped out of the TARDIS. The fresh, clean smell of the countryside air greeted her, and she was ever so happy to see the sunlight once again, after spending days in the Underground, isolated from the elements. Her feet kept wandering as she fixated on the lush, green scenery. Small, winding roads lined the rolling hills. Over the great fields, Elisabeth could see the farm animals grazing, so far away they seemed like little dots out in the distance.

Elisabeth didn't see the rock until she hit it. Her foot hitched, and she slipped forward, but she was fortunate enough not to fall face-first into the mud.

"Oof!" She went flying, crashing into a man in front of her, his back turned. Elisabeth picked herself off the ground, brushing the dirt from her pastel purple skirt. She shrugged - she didn't exactly like wearing this dress, or rather wearing dresses in general. "I'm sorry, sir." She made a hastily apology. "I didn't mean to bump into you - I swear..."

"Oh, were you talking to me?" Elisabeth heard a vaguely familiar voice. No. It couldn't be. The Doctor was back in the TARDIS. Elisabeth couldn't understand how this man could sound so much like the Doctor. An uncanny resemblance.

"I'm sorry. Just a minute." Elisabeth turned to the TARDIS, and she could feel the man turn and follow her gaze. She cupped a hand to use it to amplify her voice. "Hey, Doctor, maybe you'd like to take a look at this-"

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, glancing around for a moment before addressing Elisabeth. "Anything wrong, Elise?" His expression changed immediately when he saw the man Elisabeth had bumped into. Elisabeth stepped back as the Doctor came forward, studying the man with great unbelief.

"Impossible." The Doctor remarked. "What are you, one of those androids? What are you up to, stealing my face and walking around looking just like me?"

"'Androids'? You've got to be insane. I suppose you've got a bit too much to drink?" The man smiled, and Elisabeth could understand the Doctor's shock. She couldn't understand how the two of them were so close in resemblance. The same face, the same height and build...the same voice...the man might as well could have been the Doctor's twin. Except for the only distinguishing physical feature - the length of their hair. The Doctor's hair was certainly longer and floppier - while the other man had his hair styled in a shorter, neater cut.

"Who are you?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes, continuing to scrutinize the other man.

The other man smiled, a wide-toothed grin. He offered a handshake. "Tristan Farnon. I'm surprised you've never heard of me." He taunted, before turning to Elisabeth. "You're not from around here, aren't you?"

"Where I'm from is none of your business, sir," Elisabeth snapped, making him back up.

The Doctor sighed, offering an apology. "I'm sorry. I'm the Doctor, and this is my companion, Elisabeth."

"Your companion? I was thinking she was your...girlfriend or something." Tristan teased, chuckling a little as he reached into the pocket of his coat to retrieve a box of cigarettes.

"No, I'm not his 'girlfriend or something'." Elisabeth firmly stated, and she could almost feel herself turn a bit red. The very thought of people thinking they were together honestly appalled her.

"Anyway," The Doctor cut in, sparing Elisabeth from the tension. "You know of any cricket matches played nearby?"

"Doctor-" Elisabeth started, but Tristan cut her off.

"Just down the road there, that field." Tristan turned to point. "I'm supposed to be playing - or at least my brother thinks I'm playing out there. Maybe you could do as a stand-in for me, considering how much we resemble each other. If he turns up he won't be able to tell the difference. I promise, he won't. Oh, it'd be interesting, the two of us. I still don't understand how I could meet someone who resembles myself so closely. Would be great in dealing with my brother, you know," Tristan leaned on the fence, clamping the cigarette between his teeth. "Just go, they'll be welcome to have you." He offered, a bit too warmly for Elisabeth's taste.

"Is that so?" The Doctor exclaimed, clearly amused by his lookalike.

Elisabeth stepped forward. "Doctor, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I don't see why not. Elise, why don't you tag along?" The Doctor suggested.

Elisabeth bit the inside of her mouth. "I think I'd rather stay here, back at the TARDIS."

"I'll stay perhaps, to look after your blue box or something." Tristan started, "Or I could come and watch you." He turned to the Doctor. "It's funny, watching yourself from another person's perspective."

"Go with him, then. I'm pretty sure the TARDIS doesn't need protecting, does it, Doctor? I'll be fine here. On my own."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor confirmed. "I'd prefer to have you within my frame of sight." He addressed her, putting his hands on his shoulders. Elisabeth knew that he only meant to give her an affectionate gesture of friendship, but she still felt irked nonetheless. Slowly, she reached up and tugged at his sleeve.

"Doctor, I'd appreciate it if you..." She prompted, and the Doctor seemed to understand. He removed his hands from her shoulders, flicking his coat back as he put his hands in his pockets. A habit of his, Elisabeth seemed to observe.

"Sorry for that. It's just," He lowered his voice. "After the Underground, I think it's better that you follow me around. If a threat arises we'll be better off sticking together."

Elisabeth shook her head. "I'd prefer to stay right here, in the TARDIS."

"Alright." The Doctor agreed. "But you've got to promise me not to leave the TARDIS and go running about."

"I'll stay right here." Elisabeth promised, stepping back to the TARDIS. "But you've got to come back for me." She reminded, as she saw the Doctor and Tristan walk away. She wasn't sure how much she could trust the both of them – Tristan seemed to have a trick up his sleeve.

* * *

Elisabeth heard the knocking on the TARDIS doors some time later. To be honest, she didn't even know exactly what time it was. Just being in the TARDIS, even when it was not in motion, was mesmerizing and seemed to take her out of focus. She could just spend all day on the floor of this contraption, listening to the sounds that whizzed through the circuits and watch the buttons and lights as they flickered on and off, enjoying the artistic design of the console. It helped to take her mind off past events, and she would ponder about her life, her forgotten life before the Doctor. She would occasionally go off into the corridors, but she never really liked the winding corridors. They seemed to cave in on her, and they seemed to remind her too much of her experiences in the Underground. She dragged herself off the floor, gripping tight to the console, slipping once, let down by her numb legs. She must've been alone for quite a while.

"You're back." Elisabeth said, leaning on the doorframe of the TARDIS door as she opened it. To her delight, it was the Doctor, all scruffy and muddy after his cricket match. Elisabeth made a face as she looked him up and down. "You're a mess, Doctor. How did the game go?"

"It was brilliant." The Doctor smiled. "Oh, Tristan's invited us around to his place for tea. I think you should come along."

"Aren't you going to get yourself cleaned up?" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. "Your sweater's all muddy. Don't you think you should be having a wash first, before going over for tea?"

"Tristan says he's got it all sorted out." The Doctor assured. "Come on, let's be off. It's not a long walk from here."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi! It's the author here again... I'd just like to say thanks for the reads! I'd like to hear from you guys and how you feel about my story, and how I can improve on it. I'm sorry this part took such a long time - school has really been busy for me. I'll still try to update at least once a week, maybe twice if I'm lucky.**


	7. The Doctor's Doppelgänger (2)

It honestly wasn't quite what Elisabeth was expecting, but at least it was welcome.

Tristan had led her and the Doctor back to his house, just a short walk from the TARDIS. It wasn't as quite as it seemed. As soon as Tristan had opened the door a dog barreled out, straight at Tristan. Letting out a sigh of disgust, he pushed the dog off before Elisabeth and the Doctor stepped in.

"Oh, my," Elisabeth exclaimed, stepping cautiously around the animal.

"He's not the only one," Tristan groaned. He pushed past the Doctor, closing the front door firmly. "I think you'd better go for a wash first, Doctor. My brother'll be back soon."

"So you don't live alone here."

"No. There's Siegfried, my brother, and also a friend of mine, James. And his wife." Tristan explained, nodding to Elisabeth as he showed the Doctor up the stairs. "Go wait in the sitting room first, Elisabeth." He called down. "It's just the room, um, I'll let you find it yourself!"

Elisabeth heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. "Oh, good morning. Do come in for a chat." Elisabeth turned to find another woman around the same age as she, with chestnut brown hair, deep brown eyes and a friendly smile.

"Oh hello there," Elisabeth remarked. "Thank you," She followed the woman into the sitting room, where the other woman poured two cups of tea, setting them down on the coffee table.

"Please do take a seat," The other woman offered. "Oh, I'm Helen. And you are..."

"Elisabeth." She padded, or rather plowed her way through the room to get to the table, the dogs circling at her feet. Tristan wasn't wrong when he said the dog in the hall wasn't the only one. There were four, maybe five dogs. Elisabeth tried not to let her discomfort show as she took her place opposite Helen.

"So, what brings you here?" Helen started.

"I came here along with the Doctor. Ran into Tristan just down the road. He invited us for tea." Elisabeth explained.

"That's nice of him." Helen smiled, handing over a biscuit. Elisabeth accepted it, and started to nibble at the edges. However, she wasn't the only one who was hungry. She didn't see it until it hit her, leaving her with a clump of fur in her face. The dog leapt, digging its claws into Elisabeth's flesh and clothing as it struggled for the biscuit. Gritting her teeth, Elisabeth dropped the biscuit as she squealed.

"Go for it, you!" Elisabeth screamed, exasperated, her hands going to her clothing to inspect the damage. Fortunately it wasn't anything too serious. She fingered a hole in her sleeve and sighed. "I'm going back to my uh, car. I've got some extra clothes in there."

"Oh, don't worry." Helen assured. "You can wear some of mine."

"No thanks," Elisabeth refused. "I'd rather change into something more...more comfortable."

* * *

Elisabeth headed back down the road, running as fast as she could without tripping out of her heeled shoes. She cursed as she pulled them right off altogether, continuing on her journey with her stockings on. She passed Tristan - who was probably on the way to town.

"What are you doing here?" Tristan raised an eyebrow as Elisabeth ran past, and he followed, wanting to know what was going on. Elisabeth reached the TARDIS, and without a second thought went to find her room, without even stopping to shut the door. She dug a set of comfortable clothes out of the closet - a dark green sweater and a pair of jeans. She peeled off her stockings, replacing them with a warmer pair of woolen socks, and pulled on her trusty pair of sneakers. She wrapped a warm, grey scarf around her neck. She didn't care that it didn't fit the time period she was in, but she had had _enough_ of wearing a dress. Adjusting her glasses, she hurried out of the depths of the TARDIS, wanting to get back to Tristan's house before the Doctor had noticed.

Imagine her surprise when she saw Tristan standing in the console room.

"What are you doing in here?" Elisabeth cried, wanting to push him out the doors, but the doors slammed shut and Elisabeth could hear the whirring of the engines as the TARDIS started up. But only this time it was a spluttering, choking sound, as if they were taken out by force. Tristan looked around as the lights flickered and the ground shook, finally coming to a stop. Elisabeth ran to the console, checking the data on the screens.

"Did you touch any of this?" Elisabeth asked, not knowing what to do exactly.

Tristan shrugged. "I didn't touch any of this." He stopped in shock before continuing. "What on earth are you wearing?"

"Who are you to judge? Oh, it's something from the future. You probably aren't so used to seeing women wearing trousers, eh?" Elisabeth said flatly, as she inspected the console. "I think there should be a manual somewhere. In the storage, perhaps. I think I'll go back in there and see if I can find anything of use."

* * *

The Doctor came down the stairs in a new set of clothes.

Honestly, Tristan had done quite a good job picking out clothes for him. But that was probably because he probably picked out what he wore on a regular basis. There was no point in further deliberating on what looked good on him, as Tristan assured that the Doctor would look just as good as he did.

"Tristan?" The Doctor called, looking around. He pushed open the door to the sitting room. A woman sat by the coffee table, reading the newspaper. "Excuse me," He said, "Would you know where Tristan is?"

The woman looked up from the newspaper. After taking a mere glance at the Doctor she went back to her reading. "Tristan, I know you're trying to be funny, but I think it's best you stop clowning around before Siegfried gets back."

The Doctor was puzzled for a moment, scratching his head. It didn't have to take him long to figure out what had happened. "No, I'm not Tristan." The Doctor explained. "You've just got us mixed up, since we look so much the same-"

"I think Siegfried is on his way back. I don't suppose he did get you to do the stocktaking?"

"Where's Elisabeth?" The Doctor asked.

"Why, is it important to you? Oh, and I think there's been a delivery to the surgery. I suppose you might want to take a look at it."

The Doctor sighed as he paced to the surgery, flipping open a notebook on the table. He grabbed a pen and piece of paper, and sat down at a table. He'd have to make his way back to the TARDIS to get a change of clothes, and also to find Elisabeth. How funny. He hadn't seen her since before he went upstairs with Tristan. _It's alright,_ The Doctor assured himself. _Everything's going to be fine._ He wrote a short note, just in case Elisabeth was still around.

 _ **Elise,**_

 _ **I'm getting out to the–**_

"Tristan! How have things been going?"

The Doctor looked up, finding a man, slightly older than him, with similar features to Tristan's (and thus to his). He assumed this to be Siegfried, Tristan's brother.

"Uh, I'm terribly sorry but–" The Doctor started, but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence.

"Tristan, go get a haircut! I don't know how many times I've told you not to leave your hair hanging about and–" Siegfried paused, looking at the Doctor's handwriting. "I see your handwriting's improved tremendously."

"Let me just finish explaining myself. I'm apparently, not your brother Tristan. I'm the Doctor, you see, and I-" The Doctor was cut off again.

"Don't be playing those games with me, Tristan! You know you can't fool me." Siegfried frowned, shaking his head slightly as the Doctor scrambled for an answer.

"Look, I can prove it to you. Just hear me out, I promise-" The Doctor protested yet again to no avail.

"I've no time for this." Siegfried produced a slip of paper from his bag. "I've got some visits to do, so I think you should help out too. It'll do good for your preparation."

The Doctor got up from the table, and his note fluttered right off, landing at Siegfried's toes. "What's this?" Siegfried raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor held his breath as he scanned the note. "Are you writing to your girlfriend again? I swear, Tristan, you'd be twice as effective if you didn't spend all your time chasing anything in a skirt. I thought I assigned you things to do, like the stocktaking. Has that been done?"

The Doctor sighed. "Well, I think you'd find it just as it is. I'm sorry to be impolite, but I've got to dash." The Doctor made his escape, barging through the doors without a second word, leaving the house and a very confused Siegfried behind.

* * *

"Well, there it is." Elisabeth heaved the heavy book back to the console room, setting it down on the floor and peering over it, scanning the contents. "Tristan, could you help me out a bit?" She called.

 _Silence._

Where had the bloke run off to? Elisabeth let out a cry of frustration as she folded down the corner of the page, turning back towards the passages of the TARDIS. How was she to find him? The TARDIS had that annoying habit of rearranging itself every few seconds. How far had he wandered right in? She wondered how she would be able to find him. It struck her like a bad memory.

 _The smoke,_ Elisabeth realised. _Of course!_ She recalled how Tristan had pulled out a box of cigarettes the first time they met. She gathered up her courage, plunging right in, running down corridor after corridor to find the scent of that smoke. The trail got stronger and stronger, and she had to cover her nose with her sleeve as she ran. But something seemed to surface. The further she got, the more terrified she was. If she just closed her eyes she could just be transported right back to the Underground as it burned and crumbled. The glowing, red and orange remains of the tunnel. The smoke that filled the tunnels as the resistance teams piled up burning rubble to stop Arwen's allies from escaping. The cramped corridors as parts of the ceiling and walls caved in, forcing them to either forge ahead into precarious territory or to turn back and risk being trapped in the main chamber when it fell. Elisabeth put her hands over her ears, wanting the screams to stop. She knew all this was just an illusion, but with the 'improvements' that had occurred to her these experiences seemed more real, more dangerous. She knew that the smoke wasn't from the burning debris but from a cigarette (probably, she had assumed). But the sounds were still bouncing around in her head. She tried to bring her mind away, but it seemed to stick with her. And poor, poor, Jay...

Elisabeth watched as Jay died in front of her once again, her body being crushed under the metal that made up the place where she lived. And died.

She shook herself out of the memories, her forehead breaking into a cold sweat. She hit herself once on her temple, feeling the pain as her knuckles struck against the metal there. The memories faded back into the depths of her mind, disappearing for now. But she knew that they would always be back to haunt her.

"Oh, Elisabeth, was that your name?" She heard Tristan behind her. She sound, almost bumping into him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Elisabeth demanded. "Weren't you lost?"

"I wasn't lost, I was exploring." Tristan beamed. "So, have you figured out what's wrong with this witchcraft chamber of yours?"

"It's not witchcraft, it's time travel. Thought you would know the difference." Elisabeth huffed, turning to head back to the console room, Tristan following at her heels.

"You see," Elisabeth started, circling the console. "It seems that-" Her heart leapt into her throat. "That's funny, that wasn't what it was saying earlier..."

Tristan came over, peering at the screen. "What's this, then?" He stared at the complex lines of numbers. "It's all Greek to me."

"Hang on," Elisabeth said, holding up a hand before going back to the TARDIS manual, then heading back to the screen. "It seems, that we've been taken out of our time streams. Something's controlling the TARDIS. She didn't do it on her free will."

"So," Tristan inquired, "is this a good thing or not?"

Elisabeth shook her head. "It depends, honestly. It honestly depends what the intentions of this person is. This person took us out of our timelines for a reason. But thanks to the TARDIS, the signal's been interfered, and we've been suspended." She turned to him. "I guess we'll be stuck here for a while. At least until the signal clears, or we figure out how to fly this thing."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading on! I'll try to be as productive and update as regularly as possible. Thank you, thecrimsonnote for reviewing and I'm looking forward to more feedback by you guys! I'd really like to hear about how you guys like/dislike my story and how I can improve on.**


	8. The Doctor's Doppelgänger (3)

The Doctor was possibly having one of the worst days of his life.

Well, not really, but you get the picture.

He hadn't expected any of this to happen. He'd had some unlucky days, but this was just impossible. The TARDIS was gone.

But after all, he did try to believe three impossible things before breakfast.

The Doctor frantically searched, his blue eyes darting from left to right. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but the weird thing was that his companion had disappeared into thin air as well.

He sighed, leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees, trying to figure out how this had happened. It was just another trip to Earth's past - a rather leisurely one at that.

The Doctor heaved a deep breath as he continued to ponder upon the situation.

* * *

The TARDIS shook again, throwing Elisabeth and Tristan to the walls.

"What's it doing?" Tristan called from the other side of the console room.

"I have no idea!" Elisabeth yelled, hanging on for dear life. "Fighting back, I suppose?" She clawed her way back to the console, pulling on a random lever. At once the TARDIS stopped moving, and Elisabeth let out a sigh of relief. But her relief was short-lived when something started to show up on the screen.

It wasn't much, just static. Just as the type of static she would see on her television back at home sometimes. But Elisabeth could hear something within the white noise. She squinted, turning up the volume of the speakers, but the speech was still undecipherable.

"Well, so it's all some garbled speech. What good will that do?" Tristan sighed, fiddling with some of the buttons on the console.

"Hey!" Elisabeth snapped, slapping his hand away from the console. "Let's not touch anything we're not familiar with."

"Oh, alright."

Elisabeth glanced back to the manual. There should be a translator, somewhere around here..." Elisabeth said, ducking under the TARDIS console, coming across a locked compartment. "The manual says it's somewhere in there." Elisabeth dug out the brooch pin she kept, along with Caroline's wallet (which was starting to get heavy, to be honest). Setting the wallet on the console she bent down again, picking the lock with the brooch pin. It took her some work, but the door of the compartment swung open, the lock undone by her efforts.

"Elisabeth, could you explain something to me?" She heard Tristan call.

"Alright, what is it?" She hit a few last buttons inside the compartment and crawled out from under the console, pushing back a segment of her hair with the back of her hand.

Tristan peered at the contents of her wallet. "That's impossible. The dates on this identification card..."

Elisabeth shrugged. "I don't understand them either. Maybe some day I will." She took back the wallet, stuffing it back into her pocket. She glanced over to the small, pixelated screen, where a message read out: _Your lives are both forfeit._

"Well, I guess we've got to pick up our pace. We'll be dead by whoever wants us dead." Elisabeth said, slamming the console in frustration.

"What were you doing out, anyway? I thought you would be waiting for your brother to return or something." Elisabeth turned to Tristan, and he stuttered before trying to answer.

"Just popping out to the general store."

"The general store was closed when we came by on the way to your house, don't you remember?" Elisabeth recalled, and she saw Tristan become even nervous, putting his hands in his trouser pockets, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Fine, I didn't have any reason to be out."

There was a bout of silence as Elisabeth continued to work her way around the console.

"Do you ever feel lonely, Elisabeth?"

Elisabeth stopped, taken aback by his sudden statement.

"Well..." She started, turning back to the console. "It's none of your business, anyway. Why do you care?"

"Is there a reason you're travelling with this...Doctor friend of yours?"

"I...it seemed like an accident. I don't even know where I was from." Elisabeth explained, her voice wavering.

Tristan took a breath. "You don't know where you were from?"

"I know nothing of my origins. I don't know the place, I don't know the time...life before stumbling upon the Doctor just seems like a hazy dream."

"No family? No friends?"

"There were probably some. But I can't remember them." Elisabeth almost squeaked, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.

"Maybe when all this is over, perhaps you could stay..." Tristan suggested.

Elisabeth shook her head.

"You don't want to give him up, don't you?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know."

"He cares for you, don't you know? You're a very lucky girl, to be honest."

Elisabeth almost smiled. "Is that so?"

"The Doctor, told me to keep an eye on you. He didn't want you to run off. He cares for you, don't you see?"

"When do I not see?"

"You seemed rather cold and distant to him before he ran off to join the cricket game. He says he's got...a duty of care or something." Tristan recalled.

"So?"

"As you said, we are going to get out of this alive, aren't we?"

Elisabeth crossed her arms. "You were the one who suggested that we're going to face our imminent demise."

"Well, we'll be dead at the hand of whoever wants our lives forfeit if we don't do something."

"I think what we need to do is break the signal. Make it so that the signals can't transmit to the TARDIS." Elisabeth assumed, working according to the manual.

"Well, you're starting to speak like the Doctor, that's for sure." Tristan observed.

"Come over and help me, Tristan. Unless you want to be dead in the middle of nowhere, that's your choice to make." Elisabeth huffed. "Just watch the meter on the screen. What's it reading now?"

"Seems pretty normal to me."

"What do you mean, seems pretty normal?" Elisabeth walked over. "Uh, just ensure the value here," She pointed to a line of numbers, "doesn't go above a thousand." She wasn't sure how she knew, but she was certain that if that value went over the normal amount it would spell doom for the both of them.

"What if it does?" Tristan raised an eyebrow, peering intently at the screen.

Elisabeth twisted a knob on the console. "Radio. You know how it works, don't you? Just change the frequency until you get the lowest value."

"How on earth do you know all this? This is your technology, isn't it?"

"It's not mine. The Doctor's." Elisabeth replied, her hands flying at the controls. She didn't know where all this knowledge came from. When she flipped through the manual, everything made way too much sense for her. She didn't know how she understood these concepts, that seemed abstract to her before, so quickly. It seemed like she had been doing this all her life, but she knew it was impossible. Even if she couldn't remember anything about her past, she knew that a life like this was simply not possible for a human woman.

"Where are you from?"

"I've no idea. Didn't I say that already?"

"Who's waiting for you at home, I wonder? Your parents? Some old friends? Even a bloke?" Tristan raised an eyebrow, leaning on the TARDIS console. "How long have you been away from home?"

"I've only been travelling with the Doctor a couple of days." Elisabeth admitted. "Whoever's at home probably won't be missing me too much. Not that I remember anyone from home, that is. I'm pretty sure I've never dated anyone, though. As for friends and family, I don't remember any of the sort. It's weird, see," Elisabeth stared up at the ceiling. "I don't remember who I was."

"I'm just wondering, have you been fancying him? The Doctor? He's rather good-looking even if I do say so myself." Tristan teased, and Elisabeth felt him creep his hand over hers as they stood toe-to-toe at the console.

Elisabeth took a step back and crossed her arms. "You're just saying that because he and you look exactly the same, aren't you? And, to answer your question, no, I don't fancy him. Well, at least I don't think I do. I've never really fancied anyone before."

"Mm. Maybe when this is over we'll get a drink together, perhaps? I'm almost certain we'll get along well," Tristan offered, snapping Elisabeth to her senses.

"Let's just make sure this is over first, Tristan. Then I'll consider your offer." Elisabeth dismissed his comment, turning back to the console to work.

"Do you think we'll be on our way yet?" Tristan asked as Elisabeth pressed down a button on the console, and stood back to wait.

"There, I think this will do." Elisabeth grabbed onto the console as the deep engines whirred again, attempting to break the signal of whoever had tried to dematerialize the TARDIS. "It seems that we were being taken out of our own timeline."

"Why?"

"I know as much as you do," Elisabeth sighed, hoping that all was going well. The TARDIS severed the final signal, and Elisabeth jumped back as orange sparks flew from the console, and the TARDIS went into turbulence as it traversed the unstable time vortex. She stumbled, almost falling onto the floor if it weren't for Tristan who had caught her.

"What now?" Tristan inquired, and Elisabeth studied the console. The machine was now in a state of rest, perfectly stable except for a bit of smoke drifting from under the console. She got up to her feet, examining the dials and readings.

"Uh..." Elisabeth ran back to the manual, flipping it through and through again. "We seem to be stuck again. Floating in some vast void in space and time."

"What do we do now? How do we get back to where we were?"

"I don't know." Elisabeth ran her fingers through her hair, grasping some of it in a tight fist. "I...I just simply don't know what's wrong with it. I've tried, but nothing seems to work."

"Well, I'm just going to assume we're going to be stuck here for some time then." Tristan produced another cigarette from his pocket, lighting it before putting his hand back in his pocket.

"Oh, put that out!" Elisabeth yelled, yanking the cigarette from him and damping the burning end. "How could you not care at a moment like this? We could be lost here forever, and we'd just be stuck here wasting away our lives!" She turned away from him, storming to the other side of the room, calming herself down with a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry for my sudden outburst."

"Well, aren't there some coordinates or something?" Tristan suggested, and Elisabeth was suddenly reminded of how the Doctor flew the TARDIS this morning. Honestly, just looking at Tristan was able to trigger such a memory because of how alike he and the Doctor looked. The Doctor just flew the TARDIS as usual this morning. During her few hours in the TARDIS after, she must've glimpsed those coordinates at least once on that tiny pixelated screen. She rose, heading back to the screen, and the coordinates flew right into her mind in an instant, just like reviewing a photograph. She started to work, pushing buttons left and right, and the lines of code started to appear on the screen. Line after line after line she keyed in as Tristan stood by her side, watching her in awe and fascination.

"That's a lot of code," Tristan remarked. "How did you figure it out?"

"It's in my memory." Elisabeth replied, enjoying the confusion on Tristan's face.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"I'm half-certain."

"Don't beam me up into some planet full of killer ants or something."

"I'll try not to." Elisabeth moved over to the lever that would start the engines, her hand trembling with fear and anticipation. She stopped herself, pulling back from the console.

"Oh, pull the damn thing already!" Tristan cried, exasperated and impatient.

Elisabeth weighed her options. "I'm not sure whether I'll get us back. For all we know we could end up in much greater peril."

"You're an expert with that thing!"

Elisabeth shook her head. "It was all instinct, Tristan! I'm really not sure what I did or how I did it! I'm not sure whether I've made the right decisions."

Tristan sighed, walking over to her. "Well, the thing is, you've put in so much effort. We'll never know what's going to happen if you don't activate the ship. You've got to be brave enough to make that first move, my winning strategy to- oh, never mind that."

"Well, let's see where this gets us." Elisabeth affirmed, pulling down the lever.

* * *

"Tristan, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The Doctor groaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm not your brother, it's just that he and I look ridiculously identical.."

Siegfried slowed his pace as he caught up, out of breath. "Don't you be playing games with me, there's work to be done." He pulled the Doctor by the sleeve, almost starting to drag the Doctor back up the hill if it weren't for the Doctor holding him back.

"Wait. Just let me explain." The Doctor pleaded, and Siegfried turned back, looking him in the eye.

"You better hurry up. You're wasting precious time here." Siegfried huffed, putting his hands at his sides. The Doctor took hold of one of his wrists, and he marvelled at Siegfried's confusion as he set Siegfried's fingers upon his wrist, allowing Siegfried to feel his pulse.

Siegfried's eyes widened, and he took a moment to process this information. "I don't understand, it's impossible."

The Doctor gestured to the medical bag Siegfried had placed down on the ground. "You've got a stethoscope, I presume. It'll help you to further prove that I'm not this 'Tristan' you're talking about."

Siegfried stood back, furrowing his brow, not wanting to go with the Doctor's suggestion. How would he be able to explain him, the local vet, performing a medical examination on a _human_ , of all creatures, in the middle of the road in broad daylight? "How do I know you weren't impersonating my little brother all this while?"

"Hm." The Doctor thought for a while. "We'll have to find him first, don't we? My companion's also gone missing and she may or may not be with him."

"I've told him time and time again that he should be studying and not spending this precious time loitering around, chatting up members of the fairer gender!"

"Ah. And let's hope they're not off to..." The Doctor cringed. "Never mind that. Where do you think he'd be?"

"One of the public houses, I suppose. He's always down for a glass of that Darrowby bitter. Or two. Or ten." Siegfried took up his medical bag. "Come on, I'll show you around."

"Uh, hold up a minute." The Doctor knelt down, swiping his finger against the road where the TARDIS had previously stood, and his finger came away blackened with soot. He held his finger up, giving it a sniff. "Seems to be something left over when the TARDIS disappeared. It must've taken some effort, to dematerialise that ship of mine. I might even say it was forced to."

"Oh, whoever you are, follow along!" Siegfried yelled over his shoulder, and the Doctor stood, dusting his finger off on his trousers. Oh dear. He was going to have to apologise to Tristan after this.

"So, if you're not my younger brother, who are you and where did you come from?" Siegfried asked as they walked along.

"I'm the Doctor. Where I come from...you wouldn't believe me."

Siegfried chuckled. "Well, I certainly believe that double pulse of yours. Anything's possible, I guess. And you were saying your name was?"

"The Doctor. Just the Doctor."

"Just a title? Don't you have a name? You don't go around all the time just calling yourself that, don't you?" Siegfired raised an eyebrow.

"I have many aliases." The Doctor briefly put it. Siegfried kept silent, and the Doctor almost heaved a small sigh of relief.

Siegfried stopped in front of a pub. "Yes, this is the one he frequents. He comes here so often I fear his spirit may never rest in piece after his possibly untimely demise, spending all of eternity haunting the public houses he frequently haunts during his lifetime!"

"Ah."

"And let me tell you, he's a terrible one as well, with so many women of his. I'm surprised he still has time to loiter around!" Siegfried pushed open the door of the public house, and the Doctor could hear the chattering from within. "Oh, I think you'd better stay out here. They'll mistake you for Tristan again and it'll only make me look like a raving lunatic."

Siegfried disappeared into the pub, leaving the Doctor standing outside. He leaned on the outer wall, stuffing his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.

"Hello, Tristan. Out for a drink today?"

The Doctor turned his head to see a young man, with striking red hair. He had a dazzling smile (and to be honest this young man reminded him so much of Vislor Turlough, his previous companion, but just a lot sunnier), and he was full of energy and vigour.

"I'm just..." The Doctor hesitated, thinking of something to say that wouldn't blow his cover. Who was this young chap to Tristan? A close friend? Or just a friendly acquaintance?

"You seem awfully quiet today, Tristan. Anything wrong?" The ginger looked at him with a concerned expression. "Being left by your girl again?"

The Doctor kept silent once again, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Tristan, are you alright? The way you look at me, it seems that you've forgotten who I am? How could you forget your good friend James? We just saw each other this morning."

The Doctor wracked his brains. Didn't Tristan say something about a friend named James this morning? One of the other occupants of Skeldale House.

"Oh, none of the sort." The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, I think Siegfried wants you back. He's er...working on something in the surgery."

The young man nodded, turning to leave. "Then I'll be off." He raised an eyebrow. "Won't he need your help back there?"

"Only a capable vet like you could get the job done. Oh, don't mind me. I'll be back soon."

The Doctor turned, wiping a palm across his forehead, heaving a great breath as James left, and he found himself lucky, so very lucky that Siegfried didn't come barrelling out of the pub at that very moment.

Siegfried stormed out of the pub. "Not there, and it's funny that nobody has seen him around since this morning, since the cricket game."

The Doctor got a flash of inspiration when he heard the sounds of the radio from inside the pub. "Do you think you have a radio back at your place I could use?"

"I'm pretty sure I won't mind you using Tristan's, whatever the matter is. How are you going to use that to-"

"I think I've just gotten an idea."

* * *

The Doctor leaned over the table, tinkering with the screwdriver as he reconfigured the radio, tweaking the systems here and there. He worked in a flurry, his forehead slick with sweat as he tried to get the device to work. James sat by his side, handing him tools and asking questions all the while, which honestly increased the stress of the whole situation.

The woman, Helen, entered with a glass of water. "Would you want some water, I'll just set it down on the table here."

The Doctor didn't have time to look up. "That would be lovely. Thank you." He tucked the screwdriver (oh, it reminded him of an old friend, whom had been destroyed) behind his ear, setting the device on the table.

"What have you done to it?" Helen asked, just as Siegfried entered the sitting room.

"Let's take a look at that, shall we, Doctor?" Siegfried sat in the chair, clasping his hands together.

The Doctor made some final adjustments before setting the radio down again on the table. "I've reversed the polarity. Now it sends out signals. I've made it so that the signals can travel through space and time. They should be able to receive something..." The Doctor turned the knob on the radio, and the radio crackled to life, before settling. "I think they've got it."

"Hello?" The Doctor started. "Can you hear me?"

Everyone waited in silence before something came from the other end of the signal.

"Doctor, it's me!" The radio sprung to life. "It's me, Elisabeth!"

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor beamed. "Have you got Tristan with you?"

"He's right here with me." The occupants of the sitting room heard a bit of shuffling around on the other end.

"We're fine, and hopefully on our way." Another voice spoke from the other end, strangely similar to the Doctor's.

"Great." The Doctor breathed. "I've managed to send a signal, so if you could just follow it..."

"How?" Elisabeth spoke up again. "Is there a tracker or something?"

The Doctor raised both eyebrows. "It's underneath the console, I think. On the side with the flashing buttons."

"You're not helping!"

"I trust you're smart enough to figure it out, I hope." The Doctor spoke. After a considerable amount of silence, the Doctor promped again. "Have you got it?"

He could hear cheering from the other side, and he knew he had succeeded. "We're on our way, Doctor!"

The wheezing of the TARDIS got louder and louder as the blue police boz materialised in the corner of the sitting room.

The lock clicked open, and Tristan and Elisabeth scrambled out. They looked like the dead - absolutely exhausted. Elisabeth's face was powdered with soot, and their was an oil stain on her nose, and on the flannel shirt she was wearing. Tristan looked pale and worn, as if he'd been through a bad hangover.

"We're back." Elisabeth breathed, running a hand through her hair. "Missed us?"

Helen and James were having the weirdest days of their lives. "How-" James exclaimed, looking to Tristan then to the Doctor, and back. "How is this even-"

"Possible?" Tristan finished his sentence. "Let's just put this down as a series of extraordinary events."

"Which one is the Doctor? And which is Tristan? How can we tell them apart?" Helen asked, tilting her head to the side. "That is right, they do look ridiculously similar."

Tristan (or was it the Doctor? Nobody could tell anymore) stepped forward, spreading his hands in a matter-of-factly way. "The difference is one of us has two hearts, and the other has one." Helen looked at him in a state of disbelief, before testing his claim. As she did, her face contorted into a state of confusion.

"James, you better take a look at this."

There was a moment of silence before James burst out in surprise.

"I can't believe it. It's just marvellous, I-" James grinned.

The Doctor faced Elisabeth. "Didn't I tell you not to run off?"

"For what I've done, I'm sorry," Elisabeth admitted, slipping her right hand over his left wrist, confirming the Doctor's double pulse.

The Doctor spoke up. "As much as we'd like to stay, I'm afraid that staying on any longer is only going to cause a bout of confusion."

"Yes, I'm sure Elisabeth would want to spend some time with her friend, wouldn't she?" Tristan chuckled. "Take care of each other, you two."

"And same to the rest of you." Elisabeth followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, taking a last look at the world around her before she shut the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the reads! Thanks for bearing with me, as I'm currently lagging a bit behind my one-post-a-week schedule. The holidays are coming up and I'm hoping to be able to progress a bit faster. I'd appreciate any reviews and feedback you have on this story, so that I'd know how to improve from here. My next story will hopefully feature more of the Doctor, as I've been pushing him to the side for these two stories.**


	9. Daleks in Beijing (1)

"How did you know how to fly the TARDIS and fix it in such a situation?"

Elisabeth smiled briefly. "To be honest, Doctor, I've no idea. It just comes as natural to me. It just seems like instinct. Maybe I could show you, if necessary."

"No problem." The Doctor stepped aside, letting her take the controls. "Maybe I'll give you some ideas of where to go. Hm. How about somewhere on your home planet? Beijing in the 26th century, perhaps." He suggested, flipping a coin.

Elisabeth looked over the controls, pushing buttons and keying in coordinates. She looked up after several seconds, done with the coordinates. The Doctor looked back at her silently, observing how she went about with the procedure. She hit the final lever, and the TARDIS started up. Elisabeth stepped back. "Did I do it right?"

"Well, I guess we're going to have to find out," The Doctor affirmed.

Elisabeth stepped back from the console, unclenching and clenching her stiff hands. "Did I do it right?" She asked, staring nervoursly at the console.

The Doctor was silent for a moment. "You've gotten us in the right place, but how you piloted the ship..."

"Doctor?"

"It's a little, unconventional, you might say. But it gets the job done." The Doctor explained. "How did you know how to pilot the TARDIS?"

Elisabeth shook her head. "There's got to be a reason I know. I just know it." She looked up at the scanner. "Looks like we've landed ourselves in near some big event, or something." Elisabeth squinted at the image on the scanner, pulling on her glasses. "Looks like a stadium."

"It used to be a stadium. For the 2008 Olympic Games. It's been turned into a convention centre since then." The Doctor observed. "Shall we go take a look?"

* * *

Elisabeth stepped out of the TARDIS, the Doctor following right behind her. She wobbled on her feet slightly, cursing the small variety of shoes the TARDIS had for such formal situations. She was lucky to find a suit that fitted her, and that she didn't have to wear a skirt. She'd had enough of skirts, after some problems had arisen from her in that dress when she and the Doctor visited Darrowby. She hated the way the wind blew up her skirt, forcing her to hold down her skirt, shivering at the same time.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, pulling on his tie, a disgruntled look on his face. He didn't seem quite used to such formal attire, and honestly, Elisabeth would much prefer seeing him in his usual cricket attire, although it seemed a bit...eccentric.

"It's just these shoes." Elisabeth spat, before turning her attention to the TARDIS behind her. "Why hasn't anyone noticed the TARDIS? I mean, shouldn't people be noticing a bright blue box in the middle of the city?"

"Well," the Doctor shrugged. "the TARDIS wasn't always a blue police box. It used to be able to change its shape, but the Chameleon Circuit's broken down. And as for why nobody's noticed it..."

The Doctor sighed. "I'm honestly not sure, either."

"Not sure? I thought you probably know everything there is to know in this wide universe. You're the alien, after all." Elisabeth jested.

"Just because I'm not from this planet doesn't automatically mean I know _everything_. I'm afraid you might've gotten the wrong idea about me."

"I've got a lot to learn, Doctor." Elisabeth smiled, turning her gaze to the Doctor's attire. "You're looking quite fetching, in that suit. I mean, not that you aren't usually, but-" She stopped, not knowing how to go on. "Sorry."

The Doctor took a breath before changing the subject. "I think we should go and take a look at the convention, shall we?"

Everyone around them was rushing to and fro. Their pace of life was definitely a lot quicker as compared to Darrowby in the 1940s, Elisabeth noted. Honestly, given a choice, she honestly liked the atmosphere of Darrowby, this little town in the countryside. In hindsight, staying back might not have been a bad idea, but perhaps travelling around was better. She liked the adrenaline travelling with the Doctor gave her. It kept her on her toes, and she had learnt to be more alert to her surroundings.

People in the future, Elisabeth observed, were strange. They seemed to have elongated legs, to help them cover a longer distance. It seemed that they had evolved, but that may not have been the case. She knocked into a woman, causing her to spill the contents of her file all over the floor. Elisabeth watched in horror as the woman, instead of bending down, compressed her legs like springs, and her arms extended, like jelly, scooping up all the paper, before returning to her original shape to continue on her way. Was this how humans had evolved, to adapt to their surroundings by changing their shape? A horrible scientific experiment just as the one Elisabeth had gone through, to be able to retain any memory and recall it immediately, just as looking at a photo? Honestly, it was such a foreign concept that Elisabeth couldn't understand it herself. Just like how she didn't understand the TARDIS being smaller on the outside when she first came in.

However, over time, she was able to understand the TARDIS pretty well on her own without the Doctor's guidance, which was strange. She knew most of its functions, and was able to maneuver it on her own. There simply had to be a strange reason she knew all this unworldly technology. The information couldn't just have come from nowhere.

Upon reaching the convention centre, the Doctor produced a piece of paper from his coat pocket, passing it to the security guard at the front door. "Doctor John Smith, and this is my associate, Miss Elisabeth Choo. We're both foreign ambassadors from the branch in Paris." He announced, slipping the paper to the guard. The guard took a moment before passing the paper back to him, and waved the two of them in.

"John Smith? And what's with the blank piece of paper?"

"John Smith is an alias of mine. It's a common name, great for blending in. So much that I could use that name all my lives and nobody would even know all those different faces were me. And as for the psychic paper, I don't like to use it, but at times as this it comes across as rather handy."

Elisabeth sucked in a breath.

"It's a bit complicated." The Doctor claimed, stuffing the paper back into his coat. "Come on, we'll miss the main event."

"What's the main event?" Elisabeth inquired, hurrying along, ignoring the urgent sound of her heeled shoes against the cold floor.

The Doctor picked up an information booklet as they entered the main hall. "I'm sure you won't believe it, but humankind has just made a technological breakthrough - inventing the teleporter, thus changing the way humans commute forever."

"So they've invented it. Did it really change such a big part of the lives of the people?"

"Er, that's a complicated question. I'm afraid I won't be able to answer it here, with everyone around. It's not good to get hints about what happens in the future, which may affect your direct actions."

"Why do I have the right then?"

"I wouldn't think of it as a right, more of an opportunity." The Doctor suggested, turning his attention to the centre of the room, where a huge glass tube was set up. The glass tube looked capable of fitting approximately one and a half people, that is, very spacious for one, but just enough for two. The glass tube was around eight feet tall, and a metal casing encased the bottom and top ends of the tube. One side of the tube opened on hinges for a door. It looked something like an intergalatic sleeping pod (was that how they looked like? Elisabeth always assumed that was what they looked like).

"Would you like some tea, miss?"

Elisabeth jumped at the robotic voice that came next to her. She turned, expecting to see a humanoid figure, but all she saw was this can-like machine. It was painted a bright red, with bumps (which she presumed to have an armor-like quality) all around its bottom half. A whisk and plunger protruded from the middle section, and an eyestalk at the top dome, staring right at her. The lights on its dome blinked as it spoke. Elisabeth knew something was up about this can-creature, and she didn't like it.

"No, no thank you." She replied quickly, turning away.

"What is the matter?" The creature blared. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, and I'd appreciate it if you would just leave me and Doctor Smith alone for some while." Elisabeth spat, and was relieved to see the creature roll off into the crowds.

Elisabeth turned back to the Doctor. "What the hell was that thing?"

The Doctor looked concerned, something Elisabeth didn't like, for something was probably very, very, wrong. "A Dalek. An old enemy of mine." He fiddled with his tie, his nervousness showing. "I don't like it. They've probably tracked me here and are probably waiting to ambush. The whole hall's crawling with them."

Elisabeth watched silently as these _Daleks_ , as the Doctor had called them, slowly slipped their way throughout the crowds, offering the convention-goers drinks and light snacks. An unsettling chill ran down her spine as something forced its way from the back of her memory, a sharp, cold dagger at the back of her mind. She pushed it away, feeling a headache starting to grow.

"Elise, are you alright?" The Doctor prompted, nudging her gently. "You don't look well."

Elisabeth blinked hard, swallowing her fear. "I'm fine, Doctor. You needn't worry."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked again, his hand slipping to hers.

Elisabeth pushed the Doctor away, giving him a stern look. "I'm fine, I swear!" She pressed her lips together, her glance drifting to the Doctor's hand, which she had so firmly rejected. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just-"

"It's alright." The Doctor turned his attention to the centre of the hall, where the presentation had started. A bespectacled woman, a mop of curls perched on top of her head, her glance and her voice hypnoptising everyone in the room. Elisabeth couldn't help but turn, enthralled by the content of her speech.

"Here, at the Tianjin research faculty, we go into the unknown, making breakthroughs. We have been successful in our previous projects, such as the Human Genome project, where we were able to alter the genetic structure of a human being, allowing it to change the shape of one's body as one wishes. Now, we no longer need to strain our backs as we bend down to pick up objects on the floor, and getting items from the top shelf is a breeze! Another one of our successful projects are our Faithful Servants, which you can see roaming about the hall. They can serve humans as domestic helpers, or as industrial workers, and even as soldiers. Our friends, these state of the art contraptions change the way humans live." The woman accepted a cocktail from the Dalek next to her. "Oh, thank you very much." She took a gentle sip before continuing. "And now we unveil our next - our prototype transporter! With this, humans, and objects, can be teleported from one of these pods to another. Now, let me demonstrate." The woman stepped into the glass tube, and closed the doors. She nodded to her assistant at the control panel, and the machine started, the circuits whirring up. There was a mighty zap, and a blinding flash as the woman disappeared from sight, leaving the audience in suspense, the whole hall going silent.

A voice arose from the crowd. "Where has she gone?"

"I'm up here." The woman announced, and heads turned towards the upper balcony of the hall, where she stood, leaning against the railing. She smiled, gesturing to the identical glass tube behind her. The hall erupted in murmurs, which escalated to applause and cheer.

"That's pretty nifty, isn't it, Doctor?" Elisabeth said.

"Oh, of course it works for anything else!" The woman shrieked from the balcony, before the Doctor could answer. All attention was on her again. The woman pointed to the glass tube on the main floor, where piped spilled coloured water into the tube. "We've coloured the water for your sake." The water was dark, a churning mix of dark purples and blues. When the tank had filled, the assistant flicked a switch, and there was the zap and the flash, and the water reappeared in the tube on the upper floor, also filling it completely. "We're still working on it, it's a prototype." The woman answered, mobbed by the reporters.

"As I said, pretty clever of them, eh? An actual working teleporter? Back in my day nobody would ever think this would be a reality." Elisabeth rattled.

"Impressive, but I don't trust those Faithful Servants of theirs..." The Doctor lowered his voice, making sure nobody was around. The crowd was starting to thin, going off to look at other events and exhibits. Elisabeth looked at her watch. "It's almost seven thirty . In the evening, I suppose. Shouldn't the sun be setting now?"

"Hm." The Doctor caught a glimpse of a window, where sunlight continued to stray in. "We'll see."

The Doctor and Elisabeth continued to wander around, marvelling at all the technology around them. Suddenly, the window caught the Doctor's attention again. "Look at that." Elisabeth hurried to the window, cursing as she almost tripped again on her shoes. The sun wasn't dimming, but it seemed more like an electronic motion.

"An electronic sun." The Doctor explained. "The humans found it better if everything was in a strict cycle. They didn't think nature was strict enough." The streets darkened, leaving the city around them in darkness.

"Don't you think we should get back to the TARDIS? I mean, if it's too dark, I doubt we'd even be able to find our way back." Elisabeth suggested.

"Good idea." The Doctor started for the exit, but was barred by the 'Faithful Servants' at the door. "Where-do-you-think-you're-going?" The Dalek forced, looking the Doctor up and down.

"We're going out, thank you very much," The Doctor spat, turning to go, but the Dalek cut him off, its dome twisting from left to right in a disapproving manner, as if it was shaking its head.

"The curfew is on. You will be shot if you leave the building." The Dalek said. "You should not leave the building."

The Doctor tried again. "Why is there a curfew?"

"High crime rates has made it necessary for a curfew to take place. Also it is not safe."

"Not safe from what?"

"There is a-" The Dalek stopped. "I cannot say. My master does not permit me to say, although I am programmed to tell the exact truth."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "A what? What is going to happen?"

"There are rooms upstairs, for you and the lady." The Dalek stated, changing the subject.

Elisabeth cleared her throat. "Doctor, I think we'd better do as it says. We can leave first thing tomorrow morning."

The Doctor sighed.

* * *

Elisabeth waited at the lobby, slumping in a chair as she watched the Doctor from behind, speaking with the personnel at the counter. Funny androids, they were, Elisabeth observed the metal robots as they negotiated.

A man sat in the seat next to her. "Hello. Staying overnight, huh? The curfew, right? I don't see why its necessary." He spoke in an American accent.

Elisabeth looked at him. His dark hair was smoothed down, and his brown eyes sparkled with mischief. He had quite a charming grin, one that would win over most girls. His attire was what concerned Elisabeth. He had on a navy-blue trenchcoat, and a backpack was slung over his two shoulders.

"You don't look like one who's come from the convention," Elisabeth noted.

"I just arrived." He said, extending his hand. "Captain Jack Harkness."

"E-Elisabeth." She returned his handshake, a bit apprehensive.

"So, the convention? Are you a scientist or anything?" Jack smiled, making conversation.

Elisabeth shrugged. "No, just passing by."

"You travelling alone?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm travelling with..." She looked at the figure of the Doctor, still leaning over the counter. Jack followed her gaze, nodding his head. "Him? The tall, blonde one?"

"Yes. John, he's-" Elisabeth's voice trailed off.

"Your boyfriend?" Jack prompted.

"He's not my anything." Elisabeth cut in, lowering her voice. "Say, do you know anything about those 'Faithful Servants'? Something's a bit...off about them."

"I fought them once."

"You're not kidding?" Elisabeth's eyes widened. "They're hostile, just as I thought they were."

"I died fighting the Daleks." Jack paused, amused at Elisabeth's confusion. "Don't worry, I got better."

"Well." Elisabeth leaned in. "What exactly are they, these Daleks? My friend there, he says that they're enemies of his."

"Mutants. From the planet of Skaro. The faculty didn't _invent_ the Daleks. They just thought they did." Jack stated.

Elisabeth furrowed her brow. "Thought? How did they?"

"A perception filter. It's simple, you see. Human minds are easy to manipulate. Everyone thinks they're just creations of the faculty to make their lives easier. But there's a catch."

"What's the catch?"

Jack took a breath. "Something about Professor Myel Astrad, the woman who gave the presentation earlier. She's a foreign ambassador, from the branch overseas. Something's a bit off about her. I might've come across her in the past, but something's just a bit off about her. And the Daleks. They're super soldiers, tougher than any human is, even able to withstand bullets."

"So?"

"A soldier is only useful if he knows which side he's on."

"You think these 'Faithful Servants' as the faculty calls them will turn on the human beings?"

"Yes. And not only that, I reckon they'll do it soon. When that happens," Jack sighed, "You two better get out of here, you and John. I'll stay behind to fight them off."

* * *

"Doctor, don't you reckon something dangerous is going to happen?" Elisabeth swung her legs over the edge of her bed, undoing the towel from her head and shaking her hair free. She flinched as the cold water splattered onto the white shirt from her suit - it was way thinner than she thought. She stood, not liking the rough material of her pants, which she would have to sleep in. She had no choice but to sleep in the only set of clothes she had - she didn't want to think of an alternative.

"I'd say something's going to happen," Suggested the Doctor, stepping from the toilet, similarly dressed. He draped his coat over the only chair in the room, and surveyed the little room they had been assigned to, particularly the sole bed. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I'll sleep in the chair, you take the bed." Elisabeth crossed the room, sitting down in the chair and crossing her arms.

"You probably need rest more than I do."

"You probably need rest too, Doctor!" Elisabeth protested, wanting to end the argument right there and then.

"I'd rather you take the bed, and I don't mind sharing, if it is absolutely necessary!"

"I'd rather you take the bed, Doctor, and I-" Elisabeth cut herself off, shaking her head, noticing she was repeating everything the Doctor was saying. "Maybe I really am tired. I should've have noticed it earlier." Elisabeth settled in, turning her back towards him. "Good night, Doctor. See you in the morning."

* * *

 _The skies roared with the ships overhead. The sky was not visible from the ground, where the girl stood. The sky was completely blocked out by the smoke, and the ships that omninously hung over the sky. Loud blasts could be heard as the ships fired down at the city, the city where she grew up in and loved._

 _"Mother?" The red-headed girl cried, running down the street, desperatly searching for her mother within the rubble. Was she dead? No, she couldn't be! The girl didn't know what would happen to her if she had lost her mother - she would be an orphan, for she had no father, or at least that's what her mother said. All she wanted now was to go back to her warm, loving mother..._

 _"Androdosa!" She heard her mother yell, and felt herself being yanked back into a shelter, a shelter made up of the metal rubble that had fallen from the buildings. Oh, those beautiful buildings that once stood in the Capital of the city, now destroyed under the heavy waves of attacks again and again. She heard another blast the enemy took out another building nearby, blasting it to smithereens. She took her mother's hand and ran, tripping over a brick, falling to her knees. Another blast, and the rubble caved in, smashing down on her. She ducked, covering her head with her hands, as her mother scrambled to get her out. She wriggled until she was free, and continued on her way, wincing at her twisted ankle. Her mother led her into the tunnels, into the deep. These tunnels would usually be out of bounds to the citizens of their fine city but the war probably meant certain exceptions were allowed. Reaching a point, where the other citizens were, huddled in this underground community, sheltered from the fighting up on the surface, she sat down, and her mother tended to her ankle. She cried, tears spilling out of her eyes at the immense pain._

 _"Mother, how long is this going to go on for? The war's been on for years and years, why hasn't it stopped yet?" She asked, her little grey eyes darting from side to side, observing the poor plight of the other citizens._

 _"Because, Androdosa," Her mother snarled, looking right at her, "This is what he does to us."_

 _"Who, mother," Androdosa's eyes widened, a quiver in her voice. "Who is this man who has brought this upon us?"_

 _"He thinks he's the man who's already won. And you must find him one day, my dear." Her mother's grey eyes were full of determination, of strength._

 _The tunnel shook, the pillars already giving way. "Come on, Androdosa, we must move," Her mother pulled Androdosa to her feet, running deeper and deeper into the tunnel, the air around her getting colder and colder. She feared this part of the tunnel, for it was dangerous and many horrors were lurking in the shadows._

 _"Mother?" Androdosa tugged on her mother's jacket sleeve._

 _"Not now, Androdosa," Her mother chided. Androdosa shivered at the voices - they were getting closer and closer. In the tunnels, the sounds echoed, bouncing off the stone walls. The voices shrieked something intelligible, but Androdosa knew danger was not far. A projectile whizzed from afar, hitting the man to her left, and he fell to the ground with a horrifying shout, dead. That was it. His final breath. Androdosa huddled, close to a pillar, hoping that the enemy would not find her. Her mother tried to pull her away, but to no avail, as she was frozen still with fright._

 _"Useless child, you," Androdosa heard her mother's footsteps go further and further away, and she was alone in the darkness. Her breath formed white clouds in front of her - it was that cold. She shivered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her mother had abandoned her and called her - useless? It hurt her heart so badly to hear that she was nothing more than just...just what? Nothing! She was nothing to her mother. All these years of her mother looking after her, caring for her...did that mean nothing to her?_

 _Her breath caught when something caught up with her._

 _Androdosa saw nothing more than flashing lights. "YOU WILL COME WITH US," Commanded the enemy forcefully, the lights flashing on and off, like eyes blinking._

 _Androdosa screamed._

* * *

Elisabeth felt herself being rolled to her side. She sat up with a start, almost hitting the Doctor squarely in the nose. She clutched the sheets closer to her chest, breathing hard. The Doctor said nothing, but put his arm around her, patting her gently on the shoulder, comforting her.

"Everything is fine. You're safe now," The Doctor assured, pulling her in closer, resting his chin atop her head as she sobbed into the sheets.

"You don't understand!"

"It was just a nightmare, I know."

"Well, it seemed awfully real to me!" Elisabeth cried, feeling the panic rise in her throat.

"What was it then, that startled you? Perhaps talking about it might...take this burden off you."

"It was a war," Elisabeth choked, the images flashing back in her mind. "There was a girl, and she-" Elisabeth couldn't continue, shaking her head. "I don't even know what was going on, but it was terrifying, and so very real, Doctor! As if I were there myself, watching this young girl..."

"Have you been having trouble controlling your memories again? I knew that experiment would have some consequences?" The Doctor whispered, loosening his hold on Elisabeth, letting her shift a bit as she looked up at him.

"It's the first time something like this has happened. I don't remember where this came from. It's definitely not from something we experienced together." Elisabeth noted, pressing her lips into a thin line, her fingers fiddling with the sheets as she tried to rid herself of the terror she had just experienced. She turned, getting herself off the bed, swinging her arms, loosening her muscles. "I don't reckon I can sleep after this." Elisabeth admitted, sinking into the chair, rubbing her weary, puffy eyes. "You go back to bed, Doctor. I'll spend the rest of the night thinking, I guess."


	10. Daleks in Beijing (2)

**A/N: I'll be setting this chapter more in the Doctor's point of view, just to experiment a little with things.**

* * *

When the Doctor awoke, Elisabeth was already out of her chair. He'd sworn he hadn't been asleep for very long, just another few hours after she woke up screaming. After all, he didn't need as much sleep as she did, being a Time Lord.

Elisabeth came in from the toilet, her hair wet and washed. She walked across the room, settling back into the chair, stretching her back.

"Oh, you're finally awake, Doctor."

The Doctor got out of bed, ruffling his dishevelled hair with one hand. "Did you get much sleep last night, after...?"

"Of course I did, Doctor," Elisabeth replied, a subtle smile on her lips. "I slept very well, thank you very much."

"I don't believe you," The Doctor said, stretching the stiff muscles in his shoulders. "You've been up all night, I can tell, from the dark circles under your eyes, and the way you don't seem to look very focused."

"When since do I need to tell you the complete truth?" Elisabeth asked, stifling a yawn. "Go get dressed, Doctor. I'm certain there will be much to do today."

* * *

"Another day on the convention floor, so it seems."

"I'd want to get down to the secrets of the Daleks, or what the research faculty calls the 'Faithful Servants'. A wretched name, I suppose, seeing as how far they are from that." The Doctor said, lowering his voice, his gaze far out into the distance, examining the Daleks as they glided across the show floor, continuing to offer the people food. _Let's see how much longer they can play this game,_ The Doctor thought.

"Would you like some tea, Sir?" A Dalek, blue and black, sidled up to the Doctor's side, holding a platter of light refreshments and tea. The Doctor shook his head, and the Dalek moved on.

"I think it'd be best that we go look for Professor Astrad, and we'd be able to have a fuller view of the situation, don't you think, Elisabeth?"

"When since have you called me Elisabeth? Hasn't it always been Elise?" Elisabeth stopped short, before shaking her head and turning away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be rude. I'm not my usual self today. Well, not since last night. I'm sorry I gave you a fright last night when I woke you up. I'm just-"

"I know, I know." The Doctor assured, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she slipped away from his grip, and she was visibly trying not to scowl.

"Let's just go find her, can we?" Elisabeth started again, avoiding the Doctor's gaze.

They found Professor Astrad near the control panel of the teleporter they had used yesterday. She welcomed them with a smile and a handshake. Up close, her face stood out with a few wrinkles across the corners of her eyes, and a few streaks of silver in her brown, curly hair. She seemed no older than fifty-five, in human terms, but something in those eyes suggested otherwise. She stood with an upright, confident posture, reflecting her success in the research faculty recent years.

"Oh, good morning," The Professor greeted, clasping her hands together. "How are you enjoying the convention? Do you have any questions about our latest projects?"

"So, Professor, could you explain a bit more on how the idea for these 'Faithful Servants' came about?" The Doctor started, glancing around the room.

"Well," The Professor gave a slight pause before continuing. "We found that our 'Faithful Servants' could do all the jobs that humans neglect nowadays, as the world continues to develop, everyone wants to move on to better jobs. And our little inventions ensure there is no need for humans to do all the laboring, all the hard, back-breaking work. They can also work on professions which require strict precision, as these robots are infallible; they are programmed to 100% accuracy. In a few years, after we spread this plan more widely, there will be no need for human soldiers, no need for human engineers, no need for any human, um, doctors." She gave a slight pause, watching their faces to make sure they understood.

"How can you be sure that your inventions will not go against their own masters?" The Doctor inquired, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Elisabeth slapped him on the arm, indicating that he shouldn't have put his hands in his pockets. "Hey, that's rude!" She chided. "Uh, sorry," She took a sheepish glance at the Professor before turning away.

The Doctor shuffled, waiting for the Professor's answer.

"They are impossible to reprogram, unless it is done using the main control panel, which we must never let the corrupt get their hands on."

"Hm. Interesting. We shall leave you now to go and..." The Doctor trailed off, leading Elisabeth by the arm.

"There's something I'm not getting." Elisabeth whispered, causing the Doctor to bend down to hear her amidst the crowd. "I thought that these Daleks were supposed to be hostile or something. I don't understand how they seem so at home here, serving the humans. They don't look like the type to serve anybody."

"Where did you get the idea that these Daleks were supposed to be hostile?" The Doctor stopped in his tracks.

"I was talking to somebody yesterday. Captain Jack Harkness. Said he died fighting the Daleks." Elisabeth gave a small laugh. "Doesn't seem possible. I think he's just a big ball of hot gas." Her expression changed, her complexion paleing. "Also, I had that-" She cut herself off. "I don't think I'm ready to talk about what happened last night."

"Something's been done to those Daleks. They won't behave like this on their own free will." The Doctor said, knowing something was very very wrong with them.

Elisabeth thought for a while. "Chemicals, or maybe reprogramming. It is possible, after all. I don't trust everything Professor Astrad says."

"No, she's certainly not trustworthy." The Doctor confirmed, the gears clicking and turning in his mind as he tried to come up with a logical explanation for the Daleks' behavior. There was no way that the Daleks would become this tame. The last time he had encountered them, they were their usual selves, screaming and screeching as they tried to exterminate him, same as always. There was something off about this whole situation, something he couldn't put his finger on. Somehow, he felt that the whole plot was just a set-up, and everyone a pawn, being controlled in the darkness by some puppetmaster.

 _Something's off with Elisabeth today,_ The Doctor observed, thinking back to her appaling behaviour, suddenly bringing up the fact that he didn't call her by her preferred name, and that she insisted that he take his hands out of his pockets while conversing with the Professor. _Maybe she'd sensed something, too._

"Are you sure you've gotten enough rest last night?" The Doctor asked again, observing Elisabeth as she tried to hold back a yawn.

"I'm perfectly fine, Doctor," She snapped. "You don't need to worry so much."

"You certainly don't look so. Maybe you'd like a coffee or a tea. There's a refreshment bar somewhere, we passed it on our way in." The Doctor suggested. Elisabeth nodded, leaning her weight slightly onto him as they walked.

* * *

"Hello, Elisabeth. It's me, Jack. Don't you remember me? From last night?"

The Doctor watched Elisabeth as she looked up from her cup of tea, dropping the biscuit back onto the plate. She glanced up at the man who had approached them at their table. Elisabeth pressed her lips together before explaining to the Doctor. "Doctor, this is Jack. I met him in the hotel lobby yesterday - he seems to have some experience fighting these Daleks."

"A Doctor, huh?" Jack put his hands at his sides, glancing over the Doctor, scanning him like an object. "I had a friend I ran with once, also going by the title of Doctor."

"Well, we certainly haven't met," The Doctor said, and Jack pulled over a chair from the next table. "I'm sorry, we haven't done ourselves a proper introduction. I'm the Doctor. And you are?" The Doctor offered his hand, and Jack returned the handshake firmly, smiling.

"Just the Doctor? Oh, I thought Miss Elisabeth said you went by uh-"

"Just an alibi of mine." The Doctor explained.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced, letting go of the Doctor's hand. "So, you. I'm sure you've come across these things before."

"Several times," The Doctor paused, leaning over to take a sip of tea.

"Doctor, how do you defeat these Daleks?" Elisabeth leaned in closer.

The Doctor put down his cup. "You hit them in the eyestalk, that's how. But I'd rather not fight them - it may cause a massacre. I'd prefer to disable them in another way, or just leave them alone. Perhaps they are just a peaceful faction, although that's completely impossible, the way Davros engineered them. They're meant to be mean and brutal, without a single fiber of goodness within their bodies. Makes me wonder whether they even get along with their own kind."

"Elisabeth?" Jack waved a hand in front of her face. Her eyes had gone a bit glassy - as if she was deep in thought. Too deep, perhaps.

She snapped back to her senses, avoiding everyone's gaze again. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired today. I didn't sleep too well last night."

"From what I hear, the Daleks are planning to send in their ship today." Jack said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been tracking Professor Astrad."

"How exactly?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

Jack smiled, a flash of his white teeth visible from behind his lips. He rummaged around in his pocket of his navy blue, pulling out a ring. The ring seemed pretty ordinary, just an normal trinket of some sort.

"I don't quite understand," Elisabeth said, picking up the ring and scrutinising it.

Jack took the ring back, pressing on the gemstone that adorned it. A small camera popped out. "This. Also contains a GPS tracker. The thing is, I like to get my information through various ways."

"Where'd you get this?" Elisabeth marvelled.

"Torchwood," Jack said, in a matter-of-factly way, as if this was some information the Doctor should've known. But he racked his mind and came up with nothing.

"I've got a replicate of this, which I've put on her. This is a spare."

The Doctor frowned, staring at the ring in his palm. "How did you...did you get this on her?"

"I have my ways, which I use to my advantage," Jack snarked, his gaze going to Elisabeth.

"How did you?" Elisabeth asked again. "I'm honestly interested to find out how you managed to persuade the Professor to put this on."

Jack leaned in, his hand sliding over Elisabeth's, and the Doctor watched as she widened her eyes in horror. Then she slid back in her seat, removing her hand from his grasp.

"I understand now," Elisabeth snapped. "You didn't have to demonstrate. Of course, how could I not have seen it coming?"

The Doctor cleared his throat, relieving the tension in the atmosphere. "Why are the Daleks here?"

"They seem to want something...or someone. And they'll comb the city if needed. They'll kill thousands of civilians, if they're their usual selves." Jack leaned back, pulling the pistol from his belt. "And I think we'll hardly stand a chance."

"Wouldn't it make sense that that want me, their greatest enemy? We can get away if needed, using my TARDIS." The Doctor proposed.

Jack shook his head and sighed. "They've taken your TARDIS hostage."

"What?" The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat, not expecting to hear that his longest travelling companion, his trusty Type 40, had been taken by the enemy. He settled down again, taking a deep breath. "That of course, is expected of them."

"What do we do?" Elisabeth furrowed her brow in concern.

The Doctor thought for a while, nibbling at a biscuit. "We find Professor Astrad. And get to the bottom of this mess."

After tea, the Doctor, Jack and Elisabeth returned to the main hall. The crowd had thinned, making it easier to survey the whole situation. They stood at the balcony, looking over the whole event.

"They've cleared the water from yesterday," Elisabeth observed, as they passed by the teleporter that stood on the upper floor.

The Doctor looked down, where there was still a visible puddle of dark water. "It hasn't dried. I wonder when they cleared it." He tried to take a step out of the puddle, but found that the water wasn't as thin as it seemed. It apparently had a bit more density, like a kind of gel. Perhaps a non-Newtonian liquid, one that displays the properties of a solid while stagnant and the properties of a liquid while it is in motion.

"So, where is she?" Elisabeth leaned on the railing, scanning the atrium for signs of the Professor.

Jack produced a device from his backpack. He then tapped a few coordinates into the screen, before having it search for the ring, which was part of his marvellous contraption. "She's not on this floor. In fact," Jack paused, with a puzzled expression, "She's gone underground."

"Then, how about my TARDIS? You said that the Daleks took it hostage." The Doctor recalled their earlier conversation.

Jack nodded. "They've moved it, Doctor."

"To where exactly?" The Doctor pressed on, wanting information.

"I don't have a clue," Jack responded, looking down at his device again. "Maybe we'll find it when we find the Professor." He turned to leave, looking back. "You two coming?"

"We'll be right along," The Doctor assured, pulling Elisabeth by the arm, snapping her out of her daze again. "You're not your usual self today. Is there anything wrong?"

Elisabeth shook her head. Then she ran a hand through her hair, her face twisted in an expression of horror. "What if the Professor...isn't who she says she is? I get the feeling that she's much more of a challenge that we think she is. I think...we shouldn't mess with her."

"I don't think that'll be the case," The Doctor said, placing his hands on her shoulders in a gesture of encouragement. "Brave heart, Elise. Everything's fine, at least for now."

* * *

The Doctor and Elisabeth followed Jack out of the hall, out of the centre itself. He was right - the TARDIS wasn't standing where it did the previous day. The Doctor frowned, going over to where it used to stand.

"Someone's been moving my TARDIS a lot. It's happened just a while ago while we were in Darrowby, right, Elise?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, that seems to be the case. Tristan and I had no idea what just happened. It just dematerialised, just like being pulled out of our own space and time." Elisabeth explained, scratching her head.

"That's very strange. I've ran checks on the engines and controls, but nothing seems to have gone wrong. It wasn't the TARDIS' fault, it must've been the work of someone else, a mastermind at work."

Elisabeth took a breath as she paced around in shaky, nervous steps. She had gone visibly paler and beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. The Doctor took the hankerchief from his coat pocket, dabbing on Elisabeth's forehead. "Oh, there's no need for you to do that," Elisabeth said, taking the hankerchief from him and doing it herself. _What could've gotten her so worked up? Something's definitely going on._

"I think there's something you're not telling me." The Doctor said sternly, putting a hand under Elisabeth's chin, forcing her to make eye contact with him. To his surprise, she didn't bother pushing him away in a rush as she normally did. She simply took the Doctor's wrist in her hand, and slowly lowering it. She took his hand in both of hers. The Doctor saw her efforts to calm her breathing, taking deep, slow breaths.

"I think it's best we go follow Jack now. I'll tell you later, when I'm ready." Elisabeth promised, taking his hand as they made their way towards Jack, who had managed to break open a panel in the bottom of the building. A medium-sized hole, just enough to climb through.

"This should lead to the Professor's chamber." Jack said, standing up and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Would you like to go first, Elisabeth? Or you, Doctor?"

Elisabeth took a stiff breath. "I'll go first."

"No, wait." The Doctor stopped her, before she could have a chance to move. He stepped over, lowering his voice. "I would normally ask you to stay in the TARDIS, but with it gone..." The Doctor thought for a moment. "Maybe you'd wait for us in the main hall? You really don't look well."

Jack looked Elisabeth up and down. "He's right. I think you should get some rest. Don't get yourself too tired out. You might need the energy for later." He winked, bending down and disappearing inside the building.

The Doctor bent down, peering into the darkness. "We'll only be gone a short while, I assure you." He surged forward, getting down on his hands and knees, feeling the warmth and the assurance of the light get further and further away, until all that was left was the cold, black void.

"Which way now?" The Doctor asked, finding the tip of Jack's shoe in the darkness.

The Doctor heard the creaking of the metal passage. "She's right below us. We're in an air vent." Jack announced. The Doctor felt around, finding a catch on the floor of the cramped tunnel. He undid the latch, sliding out of the air vent and dropping into a darkened corridor. Jack followed closely, landing with a confident thump on his feet.

"She shouldn't be far. Maybe in one of these rooms in the basement," Jack suggested, producing his device again. He frowned. "She's just-"

"Hello, Doctor." The Doctor whipped around, finding the Professor standing in the darkness, eyeing him like a lion would do to its prey. "I've got you just where I want to."

The Doctor tried his best to play to the situation. "Professor! I was just looking for you - what were you doing down here?"

The Professor shook her head in disgust. "Doctor, don't play these games with me. You know who I am."

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, his tone harsh.

"Professor Myer Astrad. And my little friends here are so happy to see you!" The Professor gestured around them. The Daleks crept from the shadows, the bright lights atop their domes flashing on and off in an aggresive manner.

"I believe we must be going now," The Doctor said, but Professor Astrad strode over, circling the Doctor, with an amused look on her face.

"You're going nowhere, my dear Doctor," The Professor whispered, and the Doctor hadn't noticed what she was doing behind him. He almost jumped in surprise when he heard a snap, and to his horror he found that the Professor had bound his hands together behind his back. He could feel the cold metal cuffs on his skin, cutting off the circulation to his hands. Jack stepped forward, raising a pistol. He pointed the pistol at the Professor's forehead. At this range, the bullet would kill. It would pierce through her skull sharply, he was certain. There was something odd about her - familiar yet foreign at the same time. One of his old enemies? Perhaps, but he had faced so many of them. He couldn't run through all of them now, not at this time.

"I'm warning you, this thing isn't just for show. I'm very good with a pistol, if I say so myself." Jack smirked, holding the gun still.

The Professor simply laughed, unfazed by the immediate danger. "The Dalek ship will be on its way. And I've already got what they want."

"What do they want?" The Doctor demanded. The Professor leaned forward to whisper, her bright red lips almost brushing his ear.

"You, of course." The Professor's fingers closed around the joint of the Doctor's shoulder, pulling him down to her level. She was short, and even with high heels she was at least half a foot shorter than him.

"What's your deal in this? Why did you agree to collaborate with the Daleks?" The Doctor asked. "If you want to reveal your information, why don't you reveal it to the both of us?"

"Me? I'd like to get my hands on a certain someone," Spoke the Professor, pulling back and staring him in the eye. Her fingers grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him towards her, maneuvering him so that the Doctor was in between Jack and her. She was smart - getting him in the supposed line of fire.

The Doctor struggled against her grip. "I don't understand."

"Not you, you fool. I wanted your little girlfriend - the one you brought along in your TARDIS." The Professor released him, stepping away, but still keeping her eyes trained on him. "Don't kill the Doctor." She ordered the Daleks. Then she turned briefly to Jack, stealing a glance at him before facing the Doctor again. "Kill the other one instead." She said, gesturing at Jack.

"I've got to go now, and while the rest of you suffer down here," She paused, before keying in a few coordinates on a vortex manipulator strapped to her arm. "As you might have said, Doctor: 'Sorry, must dash!'" She made a last mocking comment, before she just vanished. In a millisecond she was gone, completely disappearing from the scene.

The Doctor and Jack held their breath, standing back to back. The Doctor struggled helplessly against his bonds and Jack had trouble - even he couldn't cover them so many at a time. The Daleks closed in, delighted to have their prize.

"Jack," The Doctor said,"When I say run-"

"We get the hell out of here, I know." Jack flashed a confident smile.

"And try not to get ourselves killed. They won't kill me - they want me alive." The Doctor noted, shuffling. He felt the chains around his wrists, clinking the shackles against each other.

Jack lowered his left arm, his right remaining outstretched, with the pistol still gripped firmly in his hand. "I've got a vortex manipulator, just like the one she used, on my arm. I've preset the coordinates. Would you just do me a favour-"

"With pleasure." The Doctor said urgently, slamming his thumb onto the button - well, at least he thought it was the right one. They were off in a flash. The Doctor didn't even felt like he had moved, but he was no longer in that dark passageway underneath the convention centre, but now above ground, right outside the convention centre. It was strangely dim - it wasn't even five o' clock yet, but it felt like the sun had already set.

The Doctor raised his gaze and discovered why.

The sky was blocked out, the sun no longer shining through to the surface. A great spaceship filled the sky. Lights on the underside blinked on and off as the Doctor saw the swarm of Daleks being dispatched from the ship, heading for the Earth below. The Doctor turned to Jack, knowing there was no time to lose.

"You can get these things off, can't you?" The Doctor moved his hands behind his back. "We'll need to make a speedy escape."

Jack frowned. "I can't get the cuffs properly off now. I'll require a cutter, and it'll take me too long to dig through my bag. I can separate the chain binding the two cuffs, though, using my pistol." Jack turned, taking aim. "Stand still, Doctor. I'm very good with this, I assure you. Just don't make any sudden movements or I might take off more than I intended to."

"Just do it." The Doctor sucked in a breath and put his hands as far apart as possible, and he tried his best not to flinch at the gun shot, which struck his eardrums like a cannon. When he dared to turn around again he was relieved to find that Jack had managed to do the job cleanly. The Doctor brought his hands in front of him, stretching the poor muscles in his shoulders, annoyed at the effort of swinging a chain with every movement of his wrist. But it would have to do, for now.

The Doctor watched as the Daleks rained down from the skies. "Come on. Let's go get Elisabeth." He turned to run, and Jack followed close behind.


	11. Daleks in Beijing (3)

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long. School's been busy lately, and I won't be updating as frequently due to exams.**

 **Coincidentially, I'm uploading this piece on Peter Davison's birthday (April 13th).**

 **Do leave reviews, I'd love to get feedback!**

* * *

"Doctor!" Elisabeth exclaimed, her face lighting up at the sight of her friend. She stopped short, noticing the cuffs and chains at the Doctor's wrists.

"What have they done to you? Who did this to you?" Elisabeth examined the cuffs, tilting her head to the side.

"Professor Astrad. You're right - turns out she's more than she seems." The Doctor sighed, recalling their encounter.

Elisabeth crossed her arms. "Have you found the TARDIS?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Not yet, it seems."

"It wasn't in the basement." Jack cut in, still searching on his device. "I'm afraid the Daleks might have taken it to their ship or something."

"We'll have to fear the worst." The Doctor said, bringing his hands together and interlocking his fingers. _Was that distress showing on his face?_ Elisabeth thought. He must've had a special connection with his TARDIS, just like how a good captain would be willing to go down with his ship.

"So, the Dalek invasion." Elisabeth found her gaze wandering, and she ran to the window, staring right out at the disaster. The Daleks had already begun. From inside the building she could hear the blasts outside, and the blinding, sharp laser beams the Daleks fired over the city. She heard the whirring alarms, and the collective screams of horror emitted by the residents of this lovely city, the jewel of China. On a large LED screen some distance away, something caught her attention, but it was too blurry to make out. She pulled out the glasses given to her by Madam Arwen, and was reluctant to put them on. She peered out the window again, at a big screen some distance away, perched on top of a flat building. It showed the live footage of the Forbidden City, the ancient palace, being destroyed bit by bit. The image changed, showing the wreckage the Daleks had left behind at the Great Wall. They were destroying the beautiful and ancient heritage of her people, her kind. On the buildings below she could just make out red hanging lanterns. That's when it hit her. It was going to be the New Year soon. Elisabeth remembered an old story, the one about the _Nian_ , the legendary monster that surfaced once a year, on the eve of the New Year, to eat people and destroy the fabric that held their very lives together. That's what it seemed to her at the time. The monsters, the Daleks, had come to kill, and to rip apart the very web of society.

Slowly but surely, Elisabeth felt the terror creeping up on her, a cold, icy hand reaching deep into her and squeezing her heart. Elisabeth backed away, breathing hard. She paced back and forth, trying to control her thoughts, but they were fighting as hard as her. She had always hated war, and to see it in action was probably the last thing she would ever want. She leaned against the wall, her head spinning. This all seemed so foreign, yet so familiar at the same time.

"Elisabeth?" She heard the Doctor ask. She opened her eyes, just a crack. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm definitely not alright, thank you very much," Elisabeth groaned, her heart pounding in her ears.

"You know, I should definitely leave you somewhere after this. I wouldn't want to risk-"

Elisabeth cut him off. "I've got no place to go. I don't know where I came from. I've no family, and I don't want to be alone...home to me seems...so far off. So far away."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she felt the weight of his chains. "Would you like some water?" Elisabeth opened her eyes and stepped away from the wall, taking the bottle of water the Doctor passed to her. She took a small sip, calming her nerves.

"I don't know. Maybe we'll find a solution to my, er, memory problem."

"How has it been, with the memory enhancement of yours?" The Doctor inquired, changing the subject and taking a weight off her mind.

Elisabeth took a breath. "I've been able to remember everything that happened after the enhancement clearly, but nothing of what happened before I encountered you. The memory block still sticks, for reasons I'm not sure of either. But memories seep through now and then, like my name, and the approximate time I came from. But hardly anything else. I haven't been able to recall anyone from before our travels."

"It takes courage, to accept such an enhancement, which is as much a blessing as it is a curse." The Doctor commented.

Elisabeth shook her head. "No, Doctor." She straightened herself. "We can talk later. Let's solve the problem at hand."

Jack loaded his gun and shouldered his blaster. "We need to find a way onto that ship."

"You've got that vortex manipulator of yours, don't you?" The Doctor asked, turning back to him.

"It needs to charge." Jack tapped the device on his wrist. "Blasted thing."

"There are people out there." The Doctor reminded. "I think it'd be best that we stop the conflict as fast as possible."

"But they want you, Doctor," Elisabeth protested. "You can't give yourself up. Not just like that."

"We'll find some other way to stop them." The Doctor sighed.

"What now?" Elisabeth asked.

Jack hooked his gun at his belt. "We wait for the thing to recharge. And meanwhile we try not to get ourselves killed."

The Doctor turned towards the doors. "I'm going out."

"You can't! It's not safe out there!" Elisabeth cried, stopping him in his tracks.

Jack stepped forward with the laser cutter. "At least get those cuffs off." He set to work, grinding away at the chains. "I might hit you, so I apologise for that." Elisabeth heard the Doctor wince once as the laser strayed off its path, but he motioned for Jack to continue. In a matter of minutes, the Doctor was free. He stumbled back, clutching his raw wrists. Elisabeth rushed over, taking one of his hands. "I'll help you with that, Doctor," She offered, massaging his wrist and getting the blood to flow back into his limp, cold hand.

"You're very helpful, Elisabeth." The Doctor shook his other hand, loosening his wrist. Elisabeth finished, putting his hand back at his side.

"You look like you're going to overheat, Doctor. Perhaps you should consider removing your tie." Elisabeth suggested, noticing the sweat that had started to form on his forehead.

"She is right, Doctor," Jack agreed. "If you're going out there, it'd be best if you don't have that tie to slow you down. You might need to do 'a whole lot of running' later, as you always say."

The Doctor worked his way out of his tie, his face in a confused and dazed expression. "Have we met before?"

"Uh, yes," Jack answered. "At least I've met you. Don't know if you've ever met me before. Which regeneration is this?"

"Fourth." The Doctor got rid of the tie, dropping it onto the ground. He undid the first button on his collar, allowing him space to breathe.

Jack rolled his eyes. "That explains everything."

"So I meet you again later in the future, it seems." The Doctor turned on his heel. "Meanwhile, I'll go see how the situation's like out there. If I don't come back within two hours, Jack, please go and search for me, but remember your own safety. For now, you and Elisabeth can go search for food supplies or something. We might be stuck here for a while."

Elisabeth put her hands to her head as she heard another blast nearby. "Doctor, it's not safe."

"But you'll be in Jack's safe hands, am I not right?" The Doctor shot a stern look at Jack, and Jack nodded.

"She'll be right as rain, I promise. Come on. Let's go get some supplies." Jack turned the other way and headed away from the Doctor. Elisabeth took one last worried glance at the Doctor before following Jack to the refreshment bar.

"We've got good here, that's for sure, but I'm not very sure about water. They might cut off our water supply at any time." Jack noted, picking up a half-eaten muffin someone had left.

"Where is everyone? This hall is deserted." Elisabeth looked around, and her heart almost froze when she saw a limp arm from behind the bar. She feared the absolute worst, and she got what she expected. A dead body.

"Do you think the Daleks might have killed everyone and hid the bodies?" Elisabeth suggested, her voice echoing in the empty air.

"Ssh." Jack put a finger to his lips. He stood, straightening up, his hand slipping into Elisabeth's. Silently, Elisabeth complained about the discomfort, but said nothing, to ensure their survival.

"They're here." Elisabeth realised, almost squeaking. She ducked behind the counter, under the table, pulling Jack along with her. "They won't know we're here, right? If we just keep quiet?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I've never fought these things before. You should know better than I did. You died fighting them, if I do recall."

"Yes," Jack equipped his blaster, slipping out from under the counter and firing a blast across the room. Elisabeth knew it had hit its mark when she heard an explosion. "They're closing in."

"Now what?" Elisabeth asked. "Do we run or do we just wait?"

"No time to wait," Jack pulled another blaster from his belt. "Just going to bend the rules of space with this little toy I have on hand." He fired it up, pointing it at the ground beneath their feet. "We're going to have a good time."

* * *

For just a moment, Elisabeth thought that she could fall forever.

Her stomach leapt as they disappeared through the floor, where a hole had been skilfully crafted by Jack and his marvellous blaster of his. Jack sealed the hole just as he opened it - with a push of the trigger. Elisabeth grasped hold of his coat just before they landed, just a few stories down. They landed in a messy heap in an abandoned pile of newspapers, but neither was hurt. They got to their feet, brushing themselves off.

"I'm never doing that again," Elisabeth muttered, as Jack brushed a clump of dust from her hair. "Hey! Didn't I-" She stopped, taking a breath. "Sorry."

"For what? You don't need to apologise. You're fine." Jack said, looking around in the darkness. It seemed that there were tunnels running under this former-stadium. But for what purpose? Were they there when the building was first constructed? Or were they dug later, for some underground organisation?

Elisabeth kept quiet, listening out for the sounds around her. She pointed down a tunnel. "I hear something. A Dalek, perhaps." She suggested, trying not to shake. The corridors were dark and dusty, and she couldn't help but remember the Underground. _No, not now,_ She thought, trying to keep her thoughts at bay. She stiffened, looking back at Jack. "Got a flashlight?"

She heard a metal clang, and Jack cursed under his breath as he tried to pick up the flashlight, turning it on, producing a single white beam of light. "Let's hope they haven't heard us. But at this rate, I'm not sure whether they can even hear anything. The tunnels are amplifying their shouting. I hope they've confused themselves."

Elisabeth held her breath and crept along the side of the wall, pressing her heels to the edge of the wall as she did. Jack moved along quicker, surpassing her with quiet, almost-silent steps, but not quite. After a few minutes of inching around in complete fear, they reached a chamber, just lit up barely with the lights on the machinery. A computer console lay to the side, the massive screen showing lines of calculation which Elisabeth couldn't understand, and something familiar at the other end of the room - one of the teleporter pods she had seen upstairs. Elisabeth thought it was safe to move forward, as there wasn't a soul in sight, but Jack stopped her, barring her with his arm. "I think we should wait." He paused, looking far down the corridor. They heard a scream of a man some distance down - a maintance worker perhaps? A silver android appeared from the gloom, its LED eyes glowing a bright red. "Isn't that the android from the lodging upstairs?"

"Why did you think they'd have the curfew? To refuse crime rates? No, Professor Astrad wanted to keep us all trapped and under the control of these monsters she created. I think she would have wanted to carry out the attack at night, but since you and the Doctor arrived...she wants both of you."

"For what? I've got no real value," Grumbled Elisabeth, and she leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. Her fingers tapped a rhythm against the rough fabric of her blazer as she did, distracting her mind. No, she didn't want to think about home now. It wasn't an option. Nobody was going to welcome her back. She wasn't welcome anywhere. She just wanted to run forever, alongside the Doctor, which she had taken a liking to recently. There was something in him that she saw, that allowed her to put her trust in him. He had plagued her thoughts recently, and Elisabeth didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing.

Elisabeth sucked in a breath when the zap came. Elisabeth averted her eyes, turning away from the bright flash. When the light receded, a Dalek now remained in the teleporter chamber. It rolled out, blinking and screaming. Then it went down a separate tunnel, to join its brethen to roam under the jewel of China.

"Does it lead to the Dalek ship?" Elisabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jack nodded. "It seems so." He paused, thinking. "Tell you what. We'll use that to get up to the surface and then we'll meet up with the Doctor again. We haven't passed the TARDIS on the way here - I'm almost certain it'll be on their ship. They're using it as bait." Jack started to make a move towards the chamber, but the Dalek turned back, firing back, noticing the presence of someone else in the room. It hit the teleport chamber, and the duo were both astounded at the durability of the materials used, for the chamber continued to stand, tall and proud, unscathed.

"How are we going to get up to the surface?"

Jack raced to the console, hitting a few controls. "There. I've now locked the teleporters, and these Daleks won't be using this portal at least, to teleport from the Dalek ship to here. Jack pulled a lever, quite satisfied. Then he rushed over to Elisabeth and pushed her into the teleport chamber, closing the glass door behind them.

"What have you done?" Elisabeth choked, struggling to breathe.

"Set the timer for teleportation." Jack got out, also squashed on his side of the cramped glass tube. "It'll be just a while, but I honestly don't mind being squeezed into here with you. You're quite a delightful girl. I do enjoy your company, if it makes you feel better."

"I mind!" Elisabeth protested, but before either of them could squeeze out another word, the teleported did its magic, sending the two of them hurtling across the void in their journey to the surface.

* * *

Elisabeth counted the number of seconds it took to reach the surface. Around a second and a half. It was fast, in her opinion. She pushed her way past Jack and out of the chamber, collapsing on the floor. She sat with her back against the chamber, her head between her knees. She held her breath as the world spun, the lights dancing in her eyes.

"That's something I'm never doing again," Elisabeth grumbled, getting to her feet. Jack shook his head, blinking hard. He took a quick glance at his watch.

"It's nearly sunset. I hope the Doctor'll be back soon. Or the curfew..."

"Is there anyone left out there?" Elisabeth asked, staring out the window at the smoking remains of the city. Her heart fell - could there have been another way out? Perhaps she should ask the Doctor, when all this was over, to go back and change some events, so that the massacre would have never happened.

"He's back," Called Jack, as he squinted into the distance. Elisabeth ran to the front doors of the building, pulling on her glasses. There he was - a blonde figure in the distance, in a black formal suit. He was making his way back at top speed. "Come on," Elisabeth muttered, tapping on the glass doors. "Almost sundown, you said?" Elisabeth asked, turning to Jack.

"Yes, in exactly-" Jack stopped short, as the day turned to night, almost with a flick of a switch. Above, the lights on the bottom of the ship glimmered in the sky, almost like stars, but unlike stars they weren't beacons of hope. The Doctor drew closer, and he seemed to be in a terrible rush. Elisabeth squinted, trying to make out the figures in the night. She could see blinking lights, those of the Daleks. They seemed to be confused, at least after the lights had gone out, but they were astoundingly good at following the Doctor's footsteps. The Doctor reached the building, and Elisabeth pulled the door open, letting him in.

"Where have you been? I think it's been far too long!" Elisabeth asked, and the Doctor stopped to take a breath. He paused, looking back at the glass doors. The Daleks were even closer now.

"They'll break through the doors. We'll have to run." The Doctor panted, drawing his sleeve across his face, messing his hair.

"To where, Doctor?" Elisabeth waited for his instruction.

The Doctor looked back once again. "To the convention hall. Hurry!" He grabbed Elisabeth, shaking her out of her shock. The group turned just in time, as the Daleks smashed the glass panels into pieces. They reached the convention hall just with seconds to spare. The Doctor ran to the console of the teleporter, pressing buttons and pulling levers. "You two," He motioned to Jack and Elisabeth, and looked back at the teleport chamber. "Get in!"

"There's no way I'm going to-" Elisabeth gasped, out of breath, clearly reluctant to suffer another trip in the teleporter.

"You go, Doctor." Jack offered. "I'm fine here, I promise."

"No," The Doctor gave him a stern look. "I don't want to-"

Jack raised a hand, stopping him. "Look, I've got weapons, and you don't. I'll be able to hold them off for long enough. I know how to work this thing, and I will join you soon. Meet you at the ship."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked, almost wanting to plead with him, giving him a concerned look. Elisabeth watched their exchange, stepping inside the chamber. The Doctor clearly didn't want to leave Jack behind, and would rather put himself at risk. Elisabeth glanced towards the doors of the hall, where she could see the Daleks approaching. It was do or die, and there was no time to debate.

"You go look for your TARDIS, Doctor," Jack nodded, stepping aside to let the Doctor enter the chamber. Once the Doctor was safely inside, Jack swung the door closed, and headed to the console. Jack checked his device, keying in the coordinates of the Dalek ship. Elisabeth held her breath as the Daleks broke through the glass doors. She felt her heart race, and almost stumbled over the Doctor. Not that there was any space for her to stumble over, anyway. She was pressed tight against the Doctor, with little space left to move. She hoped that it would be quicker than when she was stuck in the capsule with Jack - the amount of physical contact was making shivers run up and down her spine. She looked up, at the cap of the tube quite some distance up. The machine whirred, preparing for the teleport.

But it never came.

All of a sudden the power shut down, the lights blinking off with a touch of finality. Jack looked up, pressing his lips together. "I'm trying the best I can, but-" He cut himself off, ducking behind the console as a Dalek fired over his head. Beams were flying everywhere, left right and centre. Elisabeth winced as a beam bounced off the indestructable glass of the chamber. It had been designed so, but why?

"You're standing on my toes, Elise," The Doctor muttered, and Elisabeth stood on her tiptoes, trying to alleviate the pressure she exerted with her feet.

"I think you should turn around. It'd be better that way, standing back to back. I don't want to get in your way or obscure your vision." Elisabeth suggested, daring to turn her head around only slightly. The Doctor complied, his back brushing against Elisabeth's as he faced the other way. But the Doctor seemed to be interested in something on the inner surface of the cap of the tube - a red button.

"Do you think that could be the emergency release button, Elise?" The Doctor asked. An explosion rang out on the Doctor's side - it seemed that Jack was attempting to fight back. It was a small ambush, only five of them in total, and Jack was standing his ground against them.

"It might as well be." Elisabeth answered, feeling the air become denser as they used up the oxygen in the chamber. "Doctor, I think it's best we get out of here. The oxygen's getting thin."

"I can store oxygen in my respiratory bypass for a few minutes. Then you'll have more of it to yourself." The Doctor answered. "But how on earth would we be able to reach that button up there?"

The thought suddenly hit Elisabeth. "Professor Astrad's body-modification experiment. It worked, didn't it? People on the streets altered their bodies to move faster, so that they could get to their destinations in a shorter period of time. This chamber was meant for their use."

"There's no way I can reach that." The Doctor sighed, and Elisabeth knew how true it was. He was only three-quarters of a foot taller than her, and there was probably a margin of another foot between the height he could reach and the button at the top of the tube. "Do you think I could carry you, and-" The Doctor was cut off by a cry of pain, and Elisabeth saw it happen out of the corner of her eye. Jack gave a yell as the electricity ripped through his body, and he fell limp onto the ground. Elisabeth winced. Poor, poor, Jack. But there were other things to worry about- her survival.

"Is he still alive, Doctor?" Elisabeth asked, looking in Jack's direction.

The Doctor seemed deep in thought. "I don't know, Elise."

 _Alas, dear Androdosa, trapped by the Daleks._

"No! Go away!" Elisabeth covered her ears, blocking out the voice inside.

 _You really don't know what this means, don't you? You are thick. Useless girl._

"I refuse to surrender myself!" Elisabeth yelled, much to the Doctor's confusion.

"Is there something wrong, Elisabeth?" The Doctor tapped her on the hand, and Elisabeth leaned into his back, breathing hard.

 _I didn't train you to be such a weakling. You know what you were supposed to do._

"I...I don't know! It's just-" Elisabeth stopped, taking her head in her hands as something started to buzz. A low, mechanical sound. Turns out the power wasn't completely off. "Are we finally getting out of here? Please say we are, Doctor."

"I don't think that's the transporter." The Doctor said, looking up at the top of the chamber. Elisabeth nearly wanted to slap herself when she understood the Doctor's words. She glanced slightly off to the left, where a brass tube was attached, for the purposes of demonstrating what this chamber could really do.

Elisabeth ducked, knowing her efforts were futile, as the dark water started to stream in. She shivered, grabbing onto the nearest object she could, which happened to be the Doctor's sleeve. It was soaked already, the water soaking through the garment, and it chilled her to the bone. The water level rose sharply. In the last seconds, the water had climbed almost half a metre. Without thinking, Elisabeth snatched up her left shoe (which was already soggy, mind you), and smashed the heel of the shoe into the glass, not expecting such a reaction force as it rebounded. "Ow," Elisabeth cried, dropping her shoe, and she heard it splash into the water, which was at her waist already. "Do you have a plan, Doctor?"

"I think we've got no choice. We've got to use the water to help us get to the top." The Doctor planned, looking to Elisabeth for confirmation. Elisabeth nodded, knowing that this was the difference between their life and their death. She heard another explosion as another Dalek blew up, sending the room into a fiery rage. Then a familiar voice, which she wasn't expecting.

"Doctor! Elisabeth!" Jack yelled, clutching his pistol firmly, dropping to a knee to stablise his posture. "I'm back from the dead, so don't you worry." Jack hit the last Dalek in the room, and went back to working on the console. "It's not turning on, Doctor." He looked up, alarmed by how fast the water was rising. Neither of them stopped to consider how Jack had seemingly come back from the dead, but Elisabeth now knew he perhaps wasn't lying about dying at the hands of the Daleks earlier in his timeline.

 _You'll be dead soon, child, don't you worry. But wasn't there something you had to do for me first?_

"Shut up!" Elisabeth yelled, slamming her fists into the water, which had risen to her neck. She started to kick, and every move felt like stepping on soggy, wet quicksand. It dragged her down, sending her further into the darkness. "Doctor, are we going to get out of here anytime soon?"

The Doctor snatched her up, a arm slung across her back and under her arm, dragging her from the water. "I'll keep us afloat. At least until we get to the top," The Doctor explained, straining with the effort. "Are you sure you're alright, Elisabeth? I think something's messing with your mind. I hope we'll get it fixed soon, well, after this!"

"I'm fine! Just focus on staying alive!" Elisabeth kicked, relieved to find that it propelled herself up, towards the cap of the chamber. Almost there. Just a few inches to go. She looked out, where Jack turned a gun on the capsule, and he fired. The bullet just bounced off harmlessly, flying back in Jack's direction. He ducked behind the console, and the bullet smacked through the wall behind him.

The Doctor squinted. "We're almost there. But just in case, do get ready to hold your breath. Can you stay afloat on your own?"

"I don't know, but I'll try!" Elisabeth said, untangling herself from the Doctor, leaving him with both hands free. She continued to kick, but it becamse progressivel y more difficult to stay up. The water had an interesting quality. Deeper down, below her feet, the water had seemed to solidify, but it liquified again with just a slight disturbance. The opposite of oobleck, it seemed. She remembered something distant, an image of a young child playing with this appaling mixture of flour and water. The mixture had the properties of a liquid while stagnant, and the qualities of a solid when disturbed. This was the opposite.

 _You'll never escape my trap, girl. You know I'll find you one day. But I'll give you one more chance to do what I told you to._

"Doctor!" Elisabeth yelled, with the all the force she could muster, dragging her out of the voices that shrieked in her head. She had no clue what was going on. She didn't know who was speaking to her. It sounded like Madam Arwen, maybe? Or even Professor Astrad? She kicked once more, trying to raise herself above the water, but slipped. She felt herself being dragged down. In a state of clueless panic she took a big gulp of breath before she went under. She closed her eyes, careful with the limited oxygen she had. She raised her hands above her head, hoping to reach the surface, but no such luck. The water had probably filled the entire capsule now. She felt herself slip down as her heart raced, her body screaming for oxygen. She was barely aware of her head coming into contact with something firm, but not hard when she went down - it could only be the Doctor. That would probably give her an indication of how far she had sunk down into the water, and how far the Doctor was above her. She sealed her lips, not wanting to let the precious oxygen escape. Next to her she felt the Doctor kick down into the water. Straining, and knowing it would probably aid him, she positioned herself, a knee on the ground, and took hold of the Doctor's foot. She felt the other one kick, and ignoring the ripples in the water, she pushed herself up, pushing the Doctor up towards the top and their only method of escape. Exhaused, she almost gasped, but held on, for just a bit longer. She could hear her heart roaring in her ears now, a great beating she knew she couldn't run from.

 _You told me you would, Androdosa. No, Caroline. Or whatever name you take on now._

Elisabeth struggled against the voice, but that was the last thing she could remember before her lungs gave way, and she slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	12. Daleks in Beijing (4)

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for spending so much time on this chapter. I've just finished my exams, and I'll be updating a bit more often. Do comment below – constructive criticism and compliments are more than welcome!**

* * *

Or at least, she thought she was falling into a dreamless coma.

She was on the verge of shutting off when the water above her head began to flow, and she knew that the Doctor had suceeded in opening the chamber. She struggled against the darkness, trying to reach the surface for a new release of hope. The Doctor seemed to be helping, pulling her out of the water by her collar.

Air had never tasted so sweet.

As the water spilled out of the chamber and onto the convention floor, Elisabeth took in hungry gulps of air, compensating for the deprivation of oxygen she had been subjected to. She lay on her side, gasping like a fish out of water, looking back at the now empty teleport chamber, the coloured water all over the floor. She coughed, crossing her arms over her chest. She found herself being brought into an upright position, and she spluttered. The Doctor striked her on the back, between the shoulderblades, and she doubled over, coughing out more water.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, pulling her shoulders upright again.

Elisabeth nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I guess I owe you this one for saving my life."

The Doctor turned to look at the window, and the sky turned dark, right on time with the schedule.

"Do you think there are any survivors?" Jack asked, following the Doctor and looking out the window.

The Doctor gave a slight sigh. "I don't think so. I didn't come across anyone out there." He looked to Elisabeth. "I'm so sorry you had to witness this."

Elisabeth shrugged it off, panting. "I'm stronger than you think, Doctor."

The trio got to their feet and moved to a clear area, Elisabeth still feeling a little wobbly on her feet. She sat down hear a pile of rubble, resting her back against the concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. The Doctor bent over her, his face a mask of concern. "Did you swallow any water?" He asked.

Elisabeth thought back. "Not much, or at least I tried not to swallow any."

"Good." The Doctor nodded. "I don't know how harmful the chemicals in there are to your human body." He stopped. "That being said," He continued. "I think we'd better find you a new pair of clothes. I think you're starting to develop a rash from the chemicals in the water." Elisabeth looked down at her wrist, alarmed to see it a ripe, angry red. The Doctor started off towards another room, before Jack stopped him.

"I'll go. You've been through a lot today." Jack offered.

The Doctor protested. "You were shot today."

Jack smirked. "No big deal. I can't die, Doctor."

"You can't die?" The Doctor's eyes widened in alarm. "That's...something I've never known about before, I didn't know it was possible."

Jack clapped the Doctor on the shoulder. "You'll know in due time. Your TARDIS really comes in handy sometimes." He left, leaving the Doctor there to process his words. Eventually, the Doctor sat down next to Elisabeth, slumping against the panel.

Elisabeth swallowed, remembering the voices she had heard. "Doctor, something's horribly wrong. I can just sense it."

"Is it so?" The Doctor sat upright, clasping his hands.

She hesitated, doing and undoing the last button on her blazer. "Doctor, you know, in my dream last night? There was a girl. Androdosa. It took place during some war, and she was taken by the enemy. I heard the name Androdosa being mentioned by the voice I heard in my head." She paused, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"It must be difficult for you to talk about it." The Doctor remarked.

Elisabeth shook her head. "The worst thing about the whole situation is that I know who the voice belongs to."

"Who?"

"It sounded like Professor Astrad. The hypnotic tone, the Scottish accent - I know its her! I recall hearing her voice in my dream - she was Androdosa's mother." Elisabeth shivered. "What do you think all this means?"

"Perhaps your subconscious decided to bring back a memory of her voice, because we saw her quite recently." The Doctor suggested, stuffing his hands into his wet pockets, before realising and bringing them out again. This was very, very strange indeed.

"There's more than that. She kept mentioning a task I had to do, and I had failed her." Elisabeth hung her head. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I at this point." The Doctor replied. Elisabeth felt a chill up her spine, and sneezed. Her skin stung as a draft blew through her soaked clothes.

"I'm sorry that all our adventures so far have been turned out to be such disasters."

"I didn't expect this trip to be a bed of roses, Doctor." She turned to him. "But what made you trust me in the first place? I wandered into your TARDIS with all of my memory gone. How could you know I wasn't here with an ulterior motive?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I trusted that you had the moral courage to do the right thing."

"Did I do Jay justice back then in the tunnels, by refusing to kill her and spare her a whole lot of pain?"

The Doctor thought for a while, a lingering thought on his lips. "Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not sure."

Elisabeth tried a different question. "What do you see me as, Doctor?"

"A companion. A friend. Someone I could see the universe with. But that's just my thoughts up to this point."

Elisabeth gave a weak smile. "That's what I wanted to hear at this point." She heard the confirmation in his voice, and leaned back on the concrete, watching the night sky through the hole in the ceiling. The air was quiet tonight, but she knew it couldn't be the case. The Dalek ship was still up there, hovering over the dead city with an omninous presence.

Jack returned with two sets of fresh clothes. "Picked them up from bodies." He explained, handing out the garments to the sopping-wet duo.

"You took these from-" Elisabeth swallowed. "Bodies? And leaving their corpses with no dignity?"

"I covered them with a tablecloth afterwards." Jack put his bag down on the floor, leaning on a pillar. Elisabeth ducked behind another pile of rubble to change, and she wiped herself off with some tissues she found in the pocket of her new blazer. When she was done, she rejoined them. The Doctor had changed into a new set of shirt and trousers, and he held onto the blazer that came with the suit. His wet clothes were in a heap on the floor. She passed another paper towel to the Doctor, who wiped his face and neck with it before discarding it at his side.

"What do we do now?" Jack whispered, knowing that there could be Daleks about, sneaking in the shadows.

The Doctor held out a hand, catching his breath. "Sorry. Er, I..." He thought for a while, running a hand through his soggy, floppy hair. "Your vortex manipulator. When will it be fully charged?"

Jack tapped on the device on his wrist. "Tomorrow morning, 8 am, give a take a few hours." He looked up. "So we'll wait it out here tonight?"

"We've no other choice."

Elisabeth groaned inwardly. "Let's look for food, shall we? If we're going to make it through the night..." She got up. "I'll go and search."

"I'll go instead. You've had a hard day." The Doctor told Elisabeth, hopping to his feet. "Well, all of us have had a hard day, but I promise this won't take long."

"I'd like to help too, just for once-" Elisabeth protested, putting her hands at her hips.

Jack spoke out. "Let her go if she wants to, Doctor. At least it's better than leaving her alone. Not in this state." Elisabeth gave the Doctor a pleading look, before he gave in. Leading the way, he took her hand, careful not to lose her in the dark. Elisabeth felt the contact, and her heart almost skipped a beat, still not very used to the concept of physical contact. It was just that, a concept. She wondered why this concept of two or more individuals in direct contact of each other was so fascinating to everyone else, and why she wasn't quite used to it. Surely, in some point of her life, she would have to get used to this at one point.

"Doctor, the refreshment stand." Elisabeth pointed out. "I'm sure there's still something there."

They crept over to the desolated corner of the hall, and found several cartons of fried rice. Cold, but still edible. Elisabeth took a carton and the Doctor took the remaining two, and they began to make their way back towards their little 'camp'. As she walked through the dark with only the Doctor at her side, the voice in her head began to ring out again.

 _You can still change your mind. Remember the brooch I gave you? Or rather, the one you took from me._

Elisabeth pushed the thought away, shivering.

"Penny for your thoughts, Elise?" The Doctor asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Elisabeth gripped tigher to the Doctor's hand. "No, nothing much. I'm fine, Doctor. You needn't worry."

They kept in silence until they reached Jack again, and the trio started to dig in. The Doctor retrived several pairs of chopsticks from a pocket in his jacket, which he had picked up from the refreshment stall just earlier. He distributed them, sticking them into the mounds of rice in the cartons, making them stand upright.

"Oh, no!" Elisabeth recalled something, and plucked the chopsticks out of the rice, laying them horizontally on the rice instead. "I'm sorry," She sheepishly apologised. "It's a tradition. Of the Chinese people. Putting our chopsticks upright in our rice symbolises the incense we burn to honor our ancestors. It's a ritual only for the dead. To the living, it's offensive."

The Doctor looked upon her with great interest. "You're starting to remember."

"A bit." Elisabeth dug in, and she was delighted to find that the rice tasted delicious, although cold.

After the brief meal the three sat around in silence. Finally Jack spoke up. "I think I need a rest. I'll sleep for a couple of hours, and then we'd swap over. You and Elise could keep watch for now."

"It's Elisabeth to you, Jack," Elisabeth spat, crossing her arms. Jack shrugged, leaning back on the pillar and closing his eyes. The Doctor took a breath before turning to Elisabeth. "You should rest too. After all, you hardly got any sleep last night."

Elisabeth spoke up. "I'm fine, Doctor, I won't be able to sleep."

The Doctor sat forward, pressing his palms together. "I think I might be able to help." He reached over, and placed a finger on each side of Elisabeth's head. "What on earth are you attempting, Doctor?" She felt drowsy, but in a good way. A calm kind of drowsy.

"I'll explain in the morning."

* * *

"What was that last night, Doctor?" Elisabeth stretched, feeling the warm morning sun on her skin.

"Hm?" The Doctor helped Jack to pack up the last of his belongings. "Nothing, just a telepathic connection. Absolutely harmless."

"Telepathic connection." Elisabeth repeated, her face twisting into an expression of confusion. "Did you...?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe a bit. But it was all by accident, I assure you."

"You didn't see anything compromising in there, did you?" Elisabeth asked, almost blushing.

The Doctor thought for a while, tapping on his chin. "Nothing much, it seems. Nothing you should be worried about."

"So, Professor Astrad." Jack started. "I know that something's fishy about her."

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"There's no way she could have acquired that vortex manipulator she used to get out of the basement. Those things weren't invented until the 51st century."

"A time traveller, then," The Doctor remarked. "Just like us."

Elisabeth stood up, helping Jack haul up his backpack. "Did something happen last night?"

"Nothing. Just researched a bit more about the ship that's flying overhead. We've managed to track down the TARDIS." Jack answered, reaching for his vortex manipulator. "All charged up." He looked to the duo. "Just grab on." Elisabeth stepped forward, taking hold of a loose strap on Jack's bag. The Doctor grabbed his hand, waiting for the teleport.

And what a blast it was. Elisabeth remembered the dizziness, the nausea that came with the exhilarating trip through the void spanning space and time. They landed firmly in a deck of the ship. Elisabeth stumbled, diving behind a crate. She sat there, waiting for the nausea to pass.

 _Remember what I told you. You just have to steer this ship back home and hand over what I want._

"That's it," Elisabeth grumbled, pushing away her thoughts again. She stood to her feet, and she smiled at the sight of the blue box standing on the deck. The Doctor approached it, first with tentative steps. He scrutinised the box before putting a finger on it. Sparks flew, and the Doctor was thrown backwards. "Of course. It wouldn't be so simple, would it?" The Doctor sighed.

"What do we do now, Doctor?" Elisabeth asked. "I think we should go find out what's causing the forcefield and shut it down."

"Good thinking, Elise," The Doctor remarked, making his way to the door, only to find it locked shut. He tried to open the door by force numerous times, only to find his efforts futile. He stopped, catching his breath. "If only I still had my sonic screwdriver."

"Stay back, Doctor!' Jack announced, stepping forward and taking a chunk out of the door using his blaster. The Doctor looked on, rather impressed. "Well, that's that," He said, rocking back and forth on his feet."After you, Jack."

"No need to be so polite, Doctor," Jack burst, exiting the room. Elisabeth glanced back at the Doctor, who nodded. Taking this as a signal to move forward, she crept into the corridor, the Doctor close behind.

"Where are we going? Do you know what's causing the forcefield?" She dropped her voice to a whisper, and her eyes darted up and down the hall apprehensively.

Jack studied his device. "The generator's on the bottom deck. But to get rid of the forcefield we have to shut off all the power."

Elisabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek. "All of it? Then again, I think it shouldn't matter, since everyone on this ship is a Dalek."

The Doctor spoke out, his expression worrying. "It's not as easy as that." He thumbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Daleks took some of the survivors as hostages."

"What do they want?"

"What they already have on this ship. Me." The Doctor stated firmly, his steely blue eyes glazing over.

"Why you?"

The Doctor paused. "I've been fighting them as long as I can remember, probably. I'm their biggest threat. When they capture me they'll be sure to torture me over and over. They're merciless. They'll kill the hostages after that. No respect for human life. None at all, that lot of them."

Elisabeth took a breath. "So if we shut off the power, we get the forcefield surrounding the TARDIS removed, but it will cost us the lives of several other people in the process?"

"Not just several," Jack announced, as his scanner beeped furiously. "Thousands. Plus we might not get back in time, and we'll perish with this ship."

"A dilemma, so it seems." The Doctor sighed. "We'll have to think of disabling the Daleks somehow. Not killing them, just immobilising them. It'll make the escape and the rescue easier."

After making sure the coast was clear, the group started down the corridor. Elisabeth almost let out a squeak of fright when she saw the sillouette of a Dalek drift past, but stopped herself. No, it wasn't time to play the damsel in distress. It was time to be helpful.

"Don't you think there'd be cameras?" Elisabeth noted, her eyebrows arching downward. Something was getting a little off here. "They've got all this fancy technology. Of course they'd have cameras in their ship. But why haven't they located us yet?"

"It's a trap. The whole thing's a trap." Jack answered, keeping his eyes ahead. A Dalek shrieked in the distance, about to turn the corner. Hurriedly, Jack pointed his blaster, taking a chunk out of a door, and the trio slipped into the room before Jack sealed it again.

"That was a close shave," Elisabeth sighed, crossing her arms. But something else raised the hairs on her neck - she didn't know it at the time, but there were eyes; several pairs of huge, glassy eyes, staring down her back.

She turned, seeing the mess of human beings before her.

These people, the native people of the land below, had been stripped of everything they had, forcefully taken by the monsters as hostages. That was all. They were worth nothing to the Daleks. A rotting body lay in the corner of the room, covered in nothing but a soiled white sheet. Disease swarmed the air. This was a small room, no bigger than the console room back in the TARDIS, but it was inhabited by no less than fifteen people. Out of the fifteen, a good number had rotting, gangrenous sores on their bodies, possibly from injuries inflicted when trying to escape from the city, and these injuries, perhaps only small cuts when they were first inflicted, had infected and festered badly. Elisabeth's heart sunk as she took in the sight. A young girl, with huge brown eyes, tugged at the hem of her jacket, begging for food. Honestly, at that moment she didn't even know what to think. Bending down, she told the girl that she had no food, and assured her that help would be on her way. The girl toddled off, towards an old, frail woman with stringy white hair. She welcomed the woman's embrace, disappearing into the fabrics of the woman's thick layers of clothes. At least they had warmth, if nothing else.

"Doctor, we can't just leave them." Elisabeth paused. "How about you go and shut off the forcefield, and I return to switch it back on when you're safely in the TARDIS? This way we won't have to let the ship crash. It's cruising at quite a high altitude, anyway. A few seconds will be enough."

The Doctor gulped. "You can't."

Elisabeth put her hands on her hips. "I'll do my damn best to. I don't want this to turn out like the disaster in the Underground." She met the Doctor's gaze, and she almost wished she hadn't brought up the incident. Memories were starting to resurface. Blinking hard, she refocused her mind, but the pain and the terror still lingered.

"I'll go with her, Doctor." Jack spoke up.

Elisabeth spoke again, even more adamant than before. "I don't need your protection, Jack. I can do this on my own, can't I?"

The Doctor sighed, his fingers drifting to the bridge of his nose. "If you insist." His voice sounded far away, and Elisabeth almost wanted to change her mind.

"I think the best thing we can do is to break the power source on the bottom of the ship, but there's a secondary source in the control room." Jack announced. "After we shut down the power on the bottom, Elisabeth and I will turn on the power up top and control the ship from there. I've flown ships before, so it should all go smoothly."

"Y-yes." Elisabeth choked, lost in thought. "We'll be fine, Doctor."

The shrieks of 'EX-TER-MIN-ATE!' disappeared further down the hall, and Jack decided it was time for them to take action. They slipped out again, heading in different ways. Elisabeth held her breath, trying to be as quick on her feet as possible, ignoring her shaky nerves. "Pass me a blaster, Jack." Elisabeth requested, and Jack complied after a few moments of silence. She took aim at the camera stationed around the bend, and poised to shoot, and she would've if Jack hadn't stopped her.

"Let me do it. You're shaking all over." Jack took over, taking out the camera, sending sparks flying.

Elisabeth bit the inside of her mouth. "Am I?"

"Shaking harder than a-" Jack paused. "Never mind."

Elisabeth asked Jack for directions again, checking twice to make sure they were headed in the right direction. And that was when thoughts of the Doctor started to hit her. He was unarmed. If he were to run into any Daleks he would have been in great trouble. It had come down to her careless planning.

"We've left the Doctor unarmed. He's vulnerable and alone." Elisabeth pressed a palm to her forehead.

Jack rocked back and forth on his feet. "Ah. But we've already got a plan, so it'd be best to stick to it. You know what you're doing, don't you?"

"I think I know what I'm doing." Elisabeth's voice trembled. She took the blaster from Jack, continuing down the corridor. She turned back. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"That's what it says on the device." Jack said, slightly anxious. "Is something wrong? This is the third time you've asked."

Elisabeth choked. "Fine." She looked round the bend, and took aim. The Dalek sentry was blown apart, sparks flying.

Elisabeth slipped back, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. She leaned against the wall, hugging her body as she slid down the wall. She couldn't understand what was happening. Throughout her life, fear was an emotion that never left her, but it seemed to amplify at this instant, the terror echoing through her mind.

"What are you doing?" Jack yelled, going ahead to check for more sentries. He turned to Elisabeth. "You could have given us away!"

"I don't know." Elisabeth sighed, her tone numb. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"That's unlike you," Jack observed, bending down and taking Elisabeth's face in his hands. She didn't bother to react, which appaled Jack. "Elise! You there?"

She took a while before responding, as if she didn't really understand him. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"No, no, stay with me. Don't slip off," Jack shook her. "We've got to get back to the task at hand."

"Am I making the right choices?" Elisabeth questioned. She sniffed, blinking hard. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I sound deranged, or anything-"

"You're doing fine." Jack assured, but she shook her head.

"I'm scared. I don't think I'm supposed to be this scared. I-I don't think I can continue. I keep thinking I've let you all down, and nothing good comes from whatever I do." Elisabeth said, removing herself from his grasp. "This whole plan was a mistake, thanks to my aimless and faultful planning."

"We can work our way around this. Staying here and not moving on isn't going to do us any good. We've got to make progress."

"You go on ahead, Jack. I'll stay around here until I'm feeling better, at least." She clasped her hands. "It'll be more effective this way."

"The Daleks will get you. And unlike me, you're breakable. We've got to stick together." Jack persuaded, pulling her by the arm. "Please."

Elisabeth froze, biting her lip. "If you can't leave me here the least you can do is bring me back to the Doctor."

Jack took a loud breath and nodded. "You're right." He pulled her to her feet, heading in the direction they came.

* * *

"Wasn't the plan to go upstairs to the console room?" The Doctor asked, not very pleased to see the duo return.

"Elisabeth's not-" Jack started.

"My usual self today," Elisabeth admitted.

The Doctor looked up from the controls. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." Elisabeth shifted, her gaze falling to the floorboards.

Jack stepped in, taking over. "She remembered that you didn't have a weapon to defend yourself. She was concerned, no, terrified for your safety. But she tells me it's not just that. She's petrified, Doctor, can't you see that?"

"She's never been so numb before," The Doctor observed, coming around to examine her.

Elisabeth moved away. "No, Doctor, you focus on disabling the forcefield. Then you can worry about me."

The Doctor looked back at Jack. "How long has she been like this?"

"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes."

The Doctor ran a hand through his wispy hair. "I've almost got it all worked out. But when I enter the final code the two of you must follow me back to the TARDIS. Understood?"

"No, Doctor." Elisabeth replied defiantly. "I'm pretty sure there's a way to turn on the power from here. After you've turned it off, the entire ship will plunge to the ground. I can turn it on here after you've managed to get in the TARDIS."

"Why?"

"Too many people have died in the Underground, Doctor. I want to make a difference here." Elisabeth pleaded.

The Doctor bit the inside of his lip. "It's insanely dangerous, Elise, and I don't want you making reckless decisions. Not in this state of mind." He gave an exasperated sigh. "I do wish there is another way, but I can't let you do that. If I were you I might have done the same, but what if you fail to turn it on again?"

"Then I go, knowing that I have tried. I'll know that I'll have paid my price for whatever I refused to do to Jay."

"You're awfully reckless, Elise. And I don't want this recklessness being the death of you. I've needlessly lost friends to situations they thought they could control. They went bravely but their deaths weren't necessary." The Doctor hit the last key, and the lights began to flicker and dim, the ship tilting dangerously to the left. She could hear the Daleks outside, screaming as they tried to keep themselves from toppling over. The Doctor held onto the console, steadying himself. "Let's go."

"You go, Doctor." Elisabeth took her place at the console, pouring over it.

"You don't know what you're doing!"

"Just go!" Elisabeth yelled. She turned back, but not before catching a glimpse of her friend's disappointed expression. Jack gave a few words of encouragement before leaving, and she was alone in the room.

 _You've failed me again._

"I'm trying my best!" She yelled to the open air, to nobody in particular. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

 _Bring the Doctor to me. Then we'll talk._

"But how will I know who you are?"

 _Hm. Looks like you're not ready yet. You need to regain what is yours._

"I don't understand!" She gave up, turning her attention to the console, and she was relieved to find that the voice did not respond.

Her fingers took on a continuous tapping pattern as she waited for the Doctor to get into the TARDIS and fly off. Five seconds. Ten. Now fifteen.

By twenty she was already tired of waiting, and she drilled at the computer, trying to find the right code. She knew this must've been basic computer engineering which she would've learnt back at the Academy, but it seemed so long ago, so distant.

By twenty five she was trembling as she slammed at the keyboard in frustration. She checked the altitude gauges. With some mental calculation she knew how much time she had left - not more than five seconds.

She froze, suddenly losing all confidence.

Five-

No, just not now. She couldn't understand how her life could be over so quickly.

Four-

Why hadn't she gone with the Doctor when he had told her to?

Three-

If only she had been more sensible.

Two-

Her heart sank when she knew she had just milliseconds to live.

One-

Elisabeth closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

Z-

Elisabeth heard the familiar whirring of the TARDIS. The Doctor must've been able to reach his TARDIS in time and set off. He and Jack were safe, and that was all that mattered.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

She felt the slight breeze around her, and the whirring of the TARDIS gradually growing to a cresendo as the whirlwind picked up around her.

"Doctor, no! You're supposed to be getting out of here!" Elisabeth's eyes flew open, and she saw the familiar backdrop of the TARDIS materialise. Once she was fully in the TARDIS whizzed away, away from the doomed ship.

Elisabeth rubbed the back of her head. "You chose to save me." She was appalled, to why she didn't hear the ship exploding on impact. Perhaps it was just that the TARDIS was more soundproof than she thought.

"I know you tried your best to save them." The Doctor said, staring at the console and avoiding her gaze. "But we both knew it was not simply possible, despite your vast knowledge and valiant efforts. One less innocent death was the best I could do."

Elisabeth stood, her eyes welling with tears. "Drop me off somewhere. Anywhere. I don't care. I'll just start anew."

She had the Doctor's attention. Jack came over, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Elise, I think it's best that you-"

"I can't let you." The Doctor's face was a mask of uncertainty.

"Can't let me?" Elisabeth reiterated. "You've been talking about dropping me back somewhere so that I can be safe, and not always in danger. I feel like a gigantic burden to you."

"I think you'll be in more danger without me. I have to be there for you to stop rushing into reckless decisions." The Doctor stated, flipping a switch. Elisabeth couldn't understand, but he seemed more melancholic, and the atmosphere seemed to dim.

"Is that's what's best for me?"

"At least, that's what I think is best for you at this moment." His voice seemed to soothe her, and for one moment she thought she was almost going to change her mind.

"I'll reconsider your stand, Doctor. But for now I'd like to take a rest." Elisabeth announced, heading back to her bedroom in the depths of the TARDIS.


	13. Death and the Maiden (1)

**'A Girl Far From Home' has reached 1100 reads! I'd like to hear more feedback from my readers - what do you think of my writing so far? It would really make my day to recieve a comment or two :)**

 **This next segment was partially inspired by F. Schubert's Lied 'Der Tod und das Mächen' (Death and the Maiden). This chapter involves a bit more dialogue between Elisabeth and the Doctor. I've always wanted to explore the relationship between my original Companion and the Doctor.**

* * *

 _Vienna, Austria. Mid-November, 1828._

The woman peered through the shutters of her window. Her blank, grey eyes gazed down on the procession down below. A horse, speckled grey, led a carriage adorned in black. The rain fell softly like the whispers of the dead, disappearing into virtually nothing as they drift through the air.

She glanced down, tightening the knot on the bandage at her forearm. It can't slip off, especially when people are around. They can't know. Nobody expects such a young woman to worry and fret about life and death. She looks older than she is, her chestnut curls streaked with silver. But it's just something that runs in the family.

As far as she knows, the phantoms have already taken one life. The life of Franz Schubert, renowned composer.

The shadows are out for blood.

She rose and put on a bonnet. It was time to go to the market.

* * *

"Doctor, do you have any idea what this is?" Elisabeth picked up the small brooch, the one she had found on her when she first came to her senses. It was quite an elaborate jewel, really. A white sillouette against a dark background. "I don't think this belongs to me. I don't think I'd be wearing this and my flannel shirts at the same time, won't I?"

The Doctor studied the brooch. "Funny. Wait, I'll get my toolkit." He rushed off, dropping the brooch with a nasty clang on the table.

"Blast, this thing is hard to see without my-" Elisabeth cut herself off, the sudden reality hitting her. "My glasses! The ones I got from the Underground. I've lost them in Beijing."

"I've got a spare pair in one of the roundels. I think it's the second one on the left of the door." The Doctor called, returning with a heavy toolbox.

Elisabeth walked to the door, finding the roundel she thought the Doctor was instructing her to. She looked back, earning a nod of approval from him. Tentatively she pulled back, wondering how to open the compartment.

"You know what you're doing. Just think." The Doctor assured. With her back to him, Elisabeth couldn't really understand his tone of voice. He didn't seem assuring this time, nor did he seem cross. Her fingers went to the edges of the roundel, pressing down slightly. It popped open, and Elisabeth removed the lid.

"Why would you get a pair of these?" Elisabeth exclaimed, bringing out the half-moon glasses. "Doctor, are they yours?"

"Yes, indeed."

Elisabeth made a sour face and put them on. "Helps a bit." She walked back, leaning on the console. "But how did you know I knew how to open the roundel? You've never taught me, and I've never done it on your own."

Having heard the question, the Doctor froze for a brief moment. "You're very intelligent. I'm sure you can figure out a lot of things on your own."

She was not as satisified with his answer as he thought she would. "You saw something, didn't you? That night when you sent me to sleep. There must've been something buried deep in my thoughts you picked out. Why can't you tell me what's in my mind? I should deserve to know. It's my mind."

The Doctor sighed. "There was a mental block placed for a reason, which you'll know in due time, when you're ready."

"When am I not ready?" Elisabeth burst, before stopping herself and clapping her hands over her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"How did you feel yesterday, on the deck of the Dalek ship? Jack told me you were shivering with horror."

Elisabeth gulped, choosing her words wisely. "It's been happening, recently. It just felt I wasn't in my own body, and I had no control over any situation."

The Doctor looked up. "How did you feel?"

"Numb, that's what. Now can we move onto something else?" Elisabeth threw out. She peered closer at the brooch, which was now under more close examination by the Doctor. "Why did you need the toolkit?"

The Doctor retrieved a flat-headed screwdriver. "It's more than just a brooch, I suspect. Things can be hidden in here. Microphones, homing devices - those are just some of the devices hidden in normal, everyday items." Gripping the brooch in a pair of tweezers, he pried the button off the steel backing, revealing a set of complicated circuits.

"What is it?" Elisabeth asked, leaning forward.

The Doctor looked troubled. He raised the circuit up to the light to take a better look at it. "Pass me my glasses," The Doctor said.

Elisabeth took them off and handed them to him. After all, she didn't need them when not looking at close objects. It was a frustrating experience, being a bit visually impaired. The glasses made her dizzy, but it helped her to focus on close objects, or when she was reading. The Doctor slipped them on, looking at the circuit intensely. "Chameleon arch," The Doctor proclaimed.

Elisabeth's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

The Doctor put the circuit down on the console, stepping away. "Maybe we should go for lunch. Aren't you hungry, Elise?"

"I-er yes." Elisabeth stammered. "Where are we now? We could just pop out and grab a small bite. Let's get Jack. I don't know where he is. Probably getting lost in the corridors."

The Doctor gave a small chuckle, and it warmed Elisabeth's heart to see him smile.

She turned her back to him, pushing away a small thought that had formed. After several weeks of travelling with him, she couldn't help but feel emotionally attached to the Doctor, as much as she didn't like to admit it. Just being around him made her feel delighted. Of course, he wasn't the only thing that lifted her spirits, but he was a vital part of her life and being a traveller on his ship made him a vital part of her life. Well, for now.

* * *

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, locking the doors behind him. Taking a whiff of the air he took his hat from his pocket and unrolled it, plopping it on his head. "Mid-Europe, nearing the end of the 1820s." The Doctor assumed, crossing his arms. "I'm not very good with dates. I should never travel with an archeologist, you know. All they do is point and laugh at time-travellers when something goes a bit awry. They think we're the ones who mess it all up."

Jack stuck out a palm. "It's drizzling."

"I don't mind," Elisabeth said.

The Doctor looked around. "We better get out of the road. There's a procession coming along." He pulled Jack and Elisabeth aside, and removed his hat as a gestures of respect. The horse-drawn carriage went by, and nobody exchanged a single word.

"Hey, I'm not very up to date with current events," Jack said, shifting closer to the bearded man next to him. "who's the deceased?"

"Franz Schubert." The man replied. "Hear he was a famous musician. But honestly, I don't care. I'm the funeral director around here. As long as I get my money's worth." He leaned away, patting his full leather purse. "These services cost a fortune and I'm so happy to be dealing in them."

Elisabeth watched as the carriage disappeared into the fog and the rain. Suddenly she doubled over, clutching her temples.

"Ow," Elisabeth groaned, swaying on her feet. She kept her eyes closed, almost keeling over.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, bending down.

"It'll pass. I think I need a rest."

The Doctor slung her left arm over his back and dragged her back to the TARDIS. Sighing, she leaned on the wall. She could hear the commotion, and also the sound of the Doctor attempting to get the TARDIS key back in the lock.

"Look, I'll take it from here." A breathy, feminine voice spoke. "I'll know what to do. She can rest at my house."

Elisabeth opened her eyes slightly to find a young woman speaking to the Doctor. Short, bright and radiant, but her brown hair was streaked with silver. After a moment of negotiation the woman turned to leave, and the Doctor hauled Elisabeth along again, and into a house on the side of the road. Everything was a little fuzzy to her, but the next thing she could remember was settling on a hard wooden chair, and the coolness of a wet cloth pressed against her forehead. She was passed a warm mug, and she raised it to her lips, her hand trembling. Jack took the cup from her before she could spill anything, raising it to her lips. She found instant relief when the warm, soothing tea streamed past her lips, but once she stopped to take a breath, that brief reprieve was lost. She rested for a few moments. Closing her eyes, she could hear the movement around her. The Doctor and Jack left the kitchen, and were conversing with the woman in the other room.

"Thank you for giving my friend a place to rest. She's not doing very well recently." The Doctor explained. "She needs somewhere to get away from stress. I think this'll be a good place for her."

Elisabeth could hear someone shuffle in their seat. "You're very welcome, er, sir."

"I'm the Doctor. And this is Jack. Jack and Elisabeth are my travelling companions."

"Travellers, eh?"

"That's what we do. In search for risk and adventure." Jack said, cracking his knuckles. Elisabeth grimaced, her head pounding with every snap.

"You seem like a very daring person, Jack." The woman said, giving a slight chuckle.

Elisabeth couldn't bother listening on, instead focusing on the thoughts that washed through her mind. Inwardly, she blamed herself for the incident in Beijing. She couldn't understand how - it was just an impulse of the mind. She didn't know how she had suddenly become so useless to them. After that panic attack, she felt like she couldn't function normally. She didn't feel like herself. In fact, she'd been feeling a little funny since her first adventure. Something, this little nagging voice in the back of her head was frequently telling her to do something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She was sure it had something to do with Professor Astrad, who didn't seem quite normal to her. She swore it had to do with Androdosa, the girl that plagued her dreams. Well, nightmares. They'd been getting more vivid by the day, and she often had to wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. The nightmares crept up on her like a shadow in the dark, reaching out to her and playing with her mind. Those voices in her head controlled her like how a puppetmaster controls its puppet.

 _Bring him to me and you'll be forgiven._

Elisabeth pushed the thought away. She felt that she had become better and stronger at resisting this voice. It came back to her less often, but every time it did she felt an intense terror. Her breaths would stagger and shorten, and it would feel as if a icy finger was tracing its way down her spine. Every time a certain phrase was repeated by the voice in her head she had learnt to ignore it.

But why hadn't she told the Doctor about the voices?

He'd think she'd gone crazy. Honestly, she didn't exactly know whether her mental state was a result of travelling with the Doctor, and whether it'd get worse after she would leave. No, the Doctor wouldn't understand. But to disappoint the only person she felt that she hadn't let down yet, it'd make a rather large dent in her self-esteem.

He seemed to think she had potential. After all, why had he insisted she stay when she asked to leave? There had to be a reason behind his actions. Plus, he seemed to be her only friend in the world. Home was an abstract concept to her. She had stepped onto the TARDIS in England, in the 19th century. The only cresidentials she had on her were not hers, and she had hardly any recollection of her roots. Thus, over their shared journeys, she had begun to think of him as an idea of home. A friend she could run to, a friend to rely on.

Home had never felt so far away.

Elisabeth heard the sound of footsteps approach again. "You're feeling much better already, I presume?"

She tore the cloth off her head, placing it down on the table. "Definitely better." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "You don't have to be so worried about me, Doctor. I'm fine. Just fine."

"Are you sure you're-" The Doctor furrowed his brow. "You're worried."

"There's nothing to worry about." Elisabeth forced a smile. "I mean, it's just that I want some time alone."

"Alright." The Doctor affirmed, turning back to the other woman. "Oh, I just forgot. You two haven't properly met each other. Elisabeth, this is Sofia."

Sofia stretched out a hand, and Elisabeth returned the handshake tentatively. "Nice to meet you."

"My pleasure." Sofia pressed her lips in a thin line, her countenance worrying. "Are you sure you're feeling well? I mean, your skin's a bit yellowish. You've probably got jaundice, maybe. We should probably go down to the chemist's - they've probably got something for that."

Elisabeth stopped short. "My skin has always been that colour. I'm not from here, you see."

Sofia hesitated. "I see. That's a bit-er, unusual."

The Doctor cut in. "If you're feeling fine right now, would you want to take a stroll, Elise?"

"Now?" Elisabeth looked up at him, crossing her right leg over her left. "Alone?"

"I think there are a few matters that we could discuss in private." He nodded to Sofia. "If you don't mind?"

"There's a plain just a walk down, to the south of the town. I'm sure the two of you will have some peace and quiet. It's quite a view, there."

Jack snorted. "How about me, Doctor? Leaving me out?"

The Doctor helped Elisabeth to her feet. "We won't be long, Jack."

Jack leaned on the table, watching the duo leave. "And I didn't think you'd be the romantic sort."

The Doctor whipped back, sending his shaggy hair to swing with the momentum. "Who said anything about being romantic?"

* * *

"It's something about me leaving, right?" Elisabeth asked, kicking a pebble on the path. The pebble skipped across the path until it rolled into the grass and stayed there.

"That saves me the effort of having to explain things." The Doctor sighed. "Thank you. But-"

"It'd be better if I leave." Elisabeth said. "Don't worry. I'll just stay here."

The Doctor took her by the arm. "You're really serious about leaving, aren't you?"

Elisabeth shrugged him off. "Isn't that what you've always suggested?"

He seemed desperate. "I've thought about it."

"It's what you know about me that I don't know about myself, isn't it?" Elisabeth barked. "What is it that you have to hide from me, Doctor? Don't you trust me?"

"You wouldn't understand, even if you tried. And I don't suppose you can survive here on your own, right?" The Doctor asked, prompting a response.

"I'm adaptable." Elisabeth pointed out.

"Not in your mental state, you won't."

"Are you saying I'm incapable, Doctor?" Elisabeth's voice rose. "Is that what you're saying?"

"You can't even look after yourself." The Doctor stated, and Elisabeth ignored him, walking ahead. She didn't intend to brush him off, but it seemed that it was getting seemingly harder to talk. She felt like a cold fist had closed around her heart, and her shoulders started to tremble.

The Doctor ran forward, catching up with her. "You seem a bit off. There's something you're hiding."

"You're hiding secrets of your own." Elisabeth turned away again, taking a breath.

The Doctor walked into the grass and sat down, his back facing the path. He patted the ground next to him and motioned for Elisabeth to join him. "You'll like the view."

"Oh, fine." Elisabeth reluctantly complied, taking a seat next to the Doctor.

"You're definitely not fine, I can tell."

Elisabeth nodded, spitefully. "So you're right. I shouldn't hang around anymore. I'm just going to become a burden of yours."

"You don't have to take it alone, Elise. Maybe we can find a way to alleviate your strong emotions." The Doctor suggested, tucking his knees to his chest. "I think it's better that you recover before I let you go off alone." He paused. "Besides, where would you go after you leave me?"

"I'm not certain." Elisabeth said, gripping her left shoulder with her right hand and rocking back slightly. "Maybe not here. I won't fit in here."

The Doctor furrowed his brow. "Why not?"

"My customs and skin colour would probably make it harder for me to settle here. You did how how Sofia reacted, though."

Elisabeth took a breath before asking prompting something new. "I do have a question, Doctor."

"Yes?"

"I'm just wondering - since this is Vienna, wouldn't everyone be speaking German? Why were we able to understand what Sofia was saying to us?" Elisabeth inquired. "Everything's in English."

"TARDIS translation circuits." The Doctor answered, confident. "I'm surprised you didn't ask the same thing when we were in Beijing."

Elisabeth tutted. "I can understand Chinese."

"Is that so!" The Doctor clasped his hands. "Well, that's something new I learnt about you."

"So you could be speaking Gallifreyan all this time and the TARDIS would have just translated it for me?"

"Yes," The Doctor paused, blinking hard. "Wait, I never told you about my home planet. How were you able to devrive my mother tongue from what little I've shared about myself and my background?"

Elisabeth raised a hand, stammering. "I-I've no idea. The word just popped into my mind. I don't remember reading anything about it, or anything."

The Doctor nodded subtly. "So the memory block-" He muttered.

"The memory block what?" Elisabeth reiterated. "You're telling me that this has to do with the memory block?"

"Elise, how's the storage database doing?" The Doctor's tone became more urgent.

Elisabeth protested. "What does that have to do with the memory block?"

"It's affecting something." The Doctor remarked, reaching up to brush away Elisabeth's short, spiky hair, revealing the stud at her temple. "Something about it is trying to break the memory block."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Elisabeth slapped his hand away. "Once it breaks through I'll be able to remember who I am."

"Knowledge is power, Elise." The Doctor sighed, turning back to face the lush, green forest in front of them. "And there are some things that us time travellers can't know at some points in time."

"Quit trying to beat around the bush." Elisabeth nudged the Doctor with her shoe. "I can't be kept in the dark forever, you know."

The Doctor turned, making eye contact with her. "You know, being reckless and stubborn isn't going to get you anywhere." He chided. "I'm just saying, there's a time for everything."

Elisabeth hung her head. "You win, then."

"No, something's not right." The Doctor firmly replied, taking Elisabeth by the shoulders. "You're anxious, aren't you?"

Elisabeth looked away, biting her lip. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Myself." Elisabeth pronounced the word with much venom and self loathing. "Travelling with you has perhaps brought out the nastier side in me. My recklessness will be the death of me one day."

"Exactly. And I'll make sure that doesn't happen." The Doctor affirmed. "The world's a dangerous place for you and me. We face many enemies, and the path to surviving isn't always easy."

"I've caused too many deaths. The Underground, and later Beijing-" Elisabeth cried, clapping a hand over her mouth, cutting herself off.

"They weren't your fault." The Doctor's fingers closed over Elisabeth's wrist, dragging her hand away. "I wish there was another way sometimes."

"If only I hadn't blanked out when I shot that bloody Dalek!" Elisabeth gave a yelp of frustration and pain. "It was so damn terrifying. I had no idea what I was doing and I knew something was very off. I had nightmares."

"About the Daleks?" The Doctor spoke, gentler this time.

"I've got a hidden past I don't know about. And I'm scared about it."

"I'm scared of myself sometimes. Some days I just look back on the things that I've done and realise what a horrible person I've been. I've lost friends like you and I don't think I could ever forgive myself for some of those deaths."

Elisabeth shook her head. "You're different, Doctor. You don't break down in the face of danger."

A brief silence. "Elisabeth, is it the travelling that distresses you? That's a perfectly valid reason to leave, I'll-"

"It isn't the travelling, I swear. It's all the thinking I do afterwards." Elisabeth sniffed. "But I do love travelling around, and I'd really want to see more of the universe. I don't think I could ever satisfy that curiosity here on Earth."

"And I'll try to keep us out of danger. Er, as much as I can help it." The Doctor beamed, hoping to lift Elisabeth's spirits.

Elisabeth returned the smile - a thin one, but still a smile nonetheless. "Thanks."

The Doctor took his hands off her shoulders, stuffing them in his pockets. "I think it's time we head back. Jack and Sofia are waiting for us. I don't know where Jack had the idea that we were-" The Doctor stopped short. "Wait, you don't feel that way towards me, do you?"

Elisabeth gave a slight cough. "I'm honestly not sure, Doctor. With everything that's going through my mind in the past few days I haven't had time to think about this. Maybe give me a few days to come with an answer to that question, would you?"

The Doctor scratched an itch at the back of his neck. "Take as long as you want, then. It's your mind, after all."

The sky seemed to darken further, and Elisabeth could hear the distant rolling of the thunder. It sounded like a deep bass drum. Her bones seemed to rumble, and she shivered.

"Storm's coming," Elisabeth remarked, brushing her hair out of her face.

The Doctor stopped, a confused expression on his face. "It's not just the weather. Don't you sense something, Elisabeth?"

Elisabeth took a breath. "It's colder. There's something looming about–and it can't be good." She blurted, and froze inwardly. The feeling just _was_ there. She didn't know how to explain it, but the town just seemed just a bit quieter.

"Death," The Doctor proclaimed, a little sternly. "We're fairly close to a cemetery. But not the one Franz Schubert was, or rather is, going to be buried in. He's buried in the Central Cemetery, at the city centre."

"You can sense it?"

"Time Lords and perhaps other species have the ability of feeling telepathic signals."

Elisabeth rolled her eyes. "I guess we humans might call it instinct instead."

"It's more than that."

The sky rumbled again, and the duo moved on. After a few streets, Elisabeth spotted a small crowd at the side of a road, pouring over something. The Doctor slipped his hand into hers and pulled towards the crowd. "Something's going on, and I don't like it."

"There's someone on the ground!" Elisabeth whispered, peering through the crowds. The Doctor bent down, and squinted. "Yes, indeed." He stepped into the crowd, politely informing individuals to step aside.

"I'm a doctor," He claimed, bending down. He probed at the man's neck but found no pulse, shaking his head in despair. The deceased was a man in his late forties, with an extremely prominent nose and tiny hands. His skin was the colour of milk, and his lips were tainted purple.

The Doctor tilted his head to the side, staring at the man's ghost-like complexion. "He's been dead for not long now, maybe half an hour. Cause of death: it misses me, but I'm willing to guess it's not natural."

Elisabeth wanted to look away, but she couldn't help but feel drawn to the scene in front of her. She knelt, examining the skin on the man's hands. "Maybe you'd like to flip him over? We might find more that way."

"I have a feeling there's something on the back of his neck. I might know just what it is, but such cases are rare." With the help of a man from the crowd, the Doctor and he flipped the corpse onto its back. There it was, clear as day - black markings on the back of the corpse's neck. Three black rectangles, in a row. Next to each other. The Doctor took a swipe at the markings with his finger. "It can't be removed easily. Something like ink, or a tattoo, perhaps." The Doctor stood, clasping his hands behind his back. He bowed his head, taking a moment to think. "I am very sorry for your loss."

The Doctor took in a breath, dashing his tongue over his lower lip as he contemplated his next words. "Was anyone with him when he died, by any chance?"

"No, nobody! But we were nearby and we saw such a horrible sight! A moving shadow creeped past, I swear! Scared the daylights out of me." A woman's voice piped up from the crowd.

The Doctor rested his chin on his knuckles. "Then it must have been the shadow, then. I know what happened - we just need to know who caused it."

"Must've been the devil!" Another shout from the crowd.

"It could be," The Doctor sighed. "We may never know."


	14. Death and the Maiden (2)

_Das Mädchen:_

 _Vorüber! Ach, vorüber! Geh, wilder Knochenmann! Ich bin noch jung! Geh, lieber, Und rühre mich nicht an. Und rühre mich nicht an._

 _The Maiden:_

 _Pass me by! Oh, pass me by! Go, fierce man of bones! I am still young! Go, rather, And do not touch me. And do not touch me._

-Franz Schubert, 'Der Tod und das Mädchen'

* * *

"The Devil?" Sofia asked, skeptical. "Well, I'm certainly not religious. I don't believe in a devil."

"I don't know, honestly." The Doctor sighed, pressing down on the bridge of his nose. "Anything's possible."

Jack pulled over a chair. "Now look, Doctor. What are we dealing with? I mean it can't be too hard, right? Just whip out your Sonic Screwdriver and solve everything!"

The Doctor gave Jack a hard stare. "I lost my sonic screwdriver."

"Lost it? You don't anywhere without that blinking thing." Jack crossed his arms.

"Well, I prefer to go hands-free." The Doctor turned to Sofia. "Have there been other deaths like this lately?"

Sofia nodded hurriedly. "Yes, indeed." She leaned forward. "Quite a few, actually. Many people have been dying of unnatural or unknown causes lately. The funeral procession you saw earlier - that was Franz Schubert, the famous composer. I don't think the reason for his death has ever been known."

"It could just be that news doesn't go far." The Doctor thought again, and he suddenly shot upright, pressing a finger to his chin. "But there's something special about the victim we saw earlier."

"Yeah, Doctor?" Jack prompted.

"A tattoo at the back of the neck. Of three zeros - I wonder what that could mean."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop about ten degrees.

"Did you find that on any other victims? Or just this one?" Elisabeth asked.

The Doctor clasped his hands. "Well, we haven't had a chance to come across any other victims. It's just this one for now, I guess."

"Sure, three zeros. But what do they mean? Are they just symbols of some sort?" Jack inquired.

"I'm thinking it could be a timer." Sofia said, soft and tremulous. She clutched the scarf on her arm, tightening the knot.

"Clever girl." Jack beamed, winking. "Any other ideas, Doctor?"

"Tracker, or some kind of barcode." The Doctor guessed.

Sofia licked her upper lip. "What's a barcode?"

The Doctor stammered. "Uh, oh. Something you probably shouldn't know about. It's best that you don't."

"You don't need to keep shielding us from information, Doctor." Elisabeth said, stern.

"You can't just go around telling people about the future, Elisabeth!"

"Let it be then." Elisabeth turned away, crossing her arms.

The Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, Sofia. My friend can be a bit difficult at times."

"Aren't all women?"

"Excuse me?" The Doctor wrung his hands, biting the inside of his cheek.

Sofia laughed. "Never mind. You're amazingly naive sometimes, Doctor."

"I think I'll go and ask some of the residents down this street. Perhaps they know a bit more of the strange deaths in the vicinity." The Doctor announced, standing to his feet. "Any of you coming?"

"I'll go." Jack followed, rising from his chair.

"And I'll stay here, since you think I'm being difficult. I think I need a day off." Elisabeth stated, leaning back in her chair. She watched as the two of them left, swinging the door shut in their wake. Sofia got up herself, heading to the kitchen. She brought in a teapot and poured tea for the both of them. Elisabeth thanked her, raising the cup to her lips.

"Are you married, Elisabeth?" Sofia spoke first.

"No, why?"

"You should be. You can't be running around here without a husband, if you're planning to settle in. That's what the Doctor told me. People'll stare. But besides that, there's a lot I find strange about you. For example, your attire. The short hair, the trousers, the collared shirt - everything! I can't believe you're a woman sometimes. Don't you ever go out in a dress? And what happens to you at dances? Do you even bother putting on any makeup? Do others mistake you for a man, sometimes?"

"Er, oh." Elisabeth sipped from her cup. "I rarely consider myself a woman. I'm just a person. I've tried makeup, but I don't like it. My attire may seem strange to you, but there are other worlds out there where they probably dress even stranger. And what about you? You live alone. No husband, I presume."

"He died." Sofia said, naturally. "Few weeks ago, same strange causes. Never really liked him, anyway. Was my parents' choice. Would have married Gretchen if I would. But my parents said it was a silly idea, two women being married. The church would never allow it."

"You hid yourself." Elisabeth reiterated.

"In a way, yes. I was mocked by my siblings and parents until I agreed to marry Robert. Not a very good idea, to be honest."

"Since you can't believe I'm a woman, I might as well just dress like a bloke, can't I? I don't think anyone'll see the difference." Elisabeth chuckled. "I don't think I'll fit in here at all."

"You don't have to look far for good husband material."

"Jack, you mean? He's a natural flirt. Seems to like you."

"He seems likely to sleep around." Sofia waved it off, leaning back. "I meant the Doctor. Very calm, unfailingly polite. He'd do great for you. It seems like a plus that he's quite fetching too. Didn't you see him when he was flustered?"

"I'm not interested in men, it seems. Well, at least not those two."

"Interested in girls, then?" Sofia smiled. "We do have a lot in common."

"Interested in romancing neither."

"You're one of those nuns, aren't you? Here to condemn my soul, eh?" Sofia teased, nudging Elisabeth in the shoulder.

"Hey!" Elisabeth brushed her hand away. "Well, no. I never intended it like that. For me, it doesn't seem like a choice. I do feel emotionally attached to the Doctor, though."

"Oh. Interesting. So to you, it seems that being attracted to nobody doesn't seem like a choice?"

"In a way, yes."

"I wish my parents could understand. They just figure that I have to be with a man, and a man only. Not that I'd object too much, but their choice for me was just rubbish."

"You're happier without him, I presume."

"Yes."

"I wish happiness in your life too, Elise."

Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why are you doing this?"

Sofia hesitated. "I think it's only best to grasp opportunities before they blow away."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Elisabeth said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Well, at least not for the next few days or so, I think. I'm not even sure whether I'd like to settle here."

"Don't. You've got the chance to travel. Do it when you can, and you've got great friends by your side."

"We can swap, if you want. You sound like you want a chance to see the world."

Sofia shook her head. "No, it wouldn't be right. Plus, I don't think I've got the time!"

"There's always time. It's a time machine."

"Not for me, that is. You've got a very vibrant life, I can tell."

Elisabeth went silent, draining her cup of tea.

"Are you ever scared?" Sofia asked, slipping her hand over Elisabeth's.

Elisabeth nodded. "Occasionally."

"It seems to affect you. I can tell."

"Maybe you're right."

"I might be just a bit jealous of you, sometimes. I see that your friend the Doctor cares dearly for you."

"We've been together a few weeks." Elisabeth recalled.

Sofia spoke up again, this time softer. "Do you ever fear the places you haven't been to yet?"

"I-I don't understand." Elisabeth stammered.

Sofia looked Elisabeth in the eye. "I mean the great beyond. The eternal void."

"I don't want to think about death. But it looms over everything. It makes me gloomy."

"It scares me, as an irreversable process." Sofia gripped on tighter. "People believe different things. Some believe in a heaven. Some believe in a hell. But what if-" She cut herself off. "you just disappear? Won't that be horrifying? But which is worse, believing in a heaven and finding that there is none, or not believing in a heaven and finding that there is one, and you are condemned to hell for your sins?"

"I don't know, Sofia." Elisabeth's heart skipped a beat. "It scares me too. But we will never know until we cross over. I don't want to know what's on that other side of the deep chasm."

"Life is short," Sofia spat, bitterly. "And death is eternal. I might even be dead soon, very soon. It is up to Death himself. Death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. All it knows is to take and to take and to take."

"I fear way too many things." Elisabeth whispered.

Sofia sat upright, rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead. "I don't think there's any use worrying. Can't let the men seeing us down and depressed." She returned to the kitchen, and Elisabeth heard her sob quietly. Elisabeth wrapped her arms tighter around herself, hoping the looming feeling would disappear.

* * *

"Another one." The Doctor announced, stopping at the front door.

"By the same unnatural causes?" Elisabeth inquired.

The Doctor stepped into the house, removing his rain soaked hat. Lightning crackled outside and it had started to rain relentlessly. His wet hair stuck to his forehead, and he brushed it aside. "Seems so. I still don't know what's causing it. It still seems to be that shadow entity again. And as for whether there's anything strange going about, the villagers have informed us of two suspicious individuals."

"Murder, then?" Sofia spoke up, placing the fresh loaf of bread on the table. She rushed over, offering to help the Doctor remove his soggy coat. He complied, and it came off with a bit of a struggle. He sat down, catching his breath.

"That is implied, yes," The Doctor panted. He leaned back, sighing heavily. "Two girls. Around your age. A tall one, and a shorter one. They're rarely seen, but we know that one is blonde, and the other has raven-black hair. The shorter one wears a black robe. They were first seen in the vicinity about four months ago, which was when the first deaths started to take place."

"That doesn't say anything," Sofia pouted, pulling over a chair and sitting down next to the Doctor. "You must be tired, Doctor." She placed her hands on his sore, tense shoulders, massaging them.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sofia. But what I've heard from the villagers is that the girls have been dabbling in a bit of black magic." The Doctor replied, letting out a sigh of relief. "A bit lower, please."

"Would you like some tea?" Elisabeth passed a warm cup to the Doctor, who took it in his hands.

"Thank you, Elise." The Doctor said, sipping. "What's with all this today?" He glanced backwards, and signalled to Sofia to stop.

"You're awfully tense today, Doctor, if you can't tell." Sofia explained. "Thought it might help."

"Well," The Doctor blinked hard. "It's been a rough day."

Elisabeth sat back, clasping her hands. "Where's Jack, then?"

"He says he'd like to pop around to the pub and get a bit more information." The Doctor said. "I'm pretty sure he will at least take a drink or two or ten. We might need to prepare to lug him back."

"Well, I hope the shadows and the death pass us by. I've had enough." Sofia huffed, opening a bottle.

Leaning forward, Elisabeth lowered her voice. "She's lost her husband already. Might be to the same thing that took all the others."

The Doctor turned his head to look at Sofia. "I'm very sorry, I didn't know that-"

"No matter. I wasn't happy with him anyway." Sofia lamented. "But I'm moving on quite well, actually. And I thought I'd never fall in love again."

"Ah, is that so?" The Doctor said. "That's great. People come and go, but the important part of life is to keep moving. There's no point stopping yourself. Life goes on, and time and tide waits for no man."

"Did the person die today?" Elisabeth asked, folding her hands.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. She's been dead for a few days now. We managed to catch her funeral. The tattoo was on her hand, visible to all. There was hardly anyone at the girl's funeral. Although I did catch a group of girls snooping around. Around your age, Elise. They matched the description given by the villagers. A taller one, blonde, and a shorter brunette in a dark gown. I only glimpse them before they caught my gaze and retreated. I don't know who they could be. The friends of the deceased, perhaps?"

"Any other information?" Elisabeth probed. "There's more, isn't there?"

"I wish I knew."

"What about the shadow?" Sofia prompted.

The Doctor took a breath. "Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. There was an witness to her death. An old priest. His vision had detoriated, but he heard the caw of a bird before it struck her."

Sofia's eyes widened, and she gulped. "Struck her?"

"The priest says it took her soul." The Doctor recounted.

Elisabeth made eye contact with her friend. "And you believe her?"

"There's always room for impossible things, Elise. You've seen that. Like the encounter at Darrowby. What are the chances of me running into someone who looks identical to myself? Very little, close to impossible. But it did happen." The Doctor gave a small nod. "We might as well be dealing with supernatural forces here."

"Not every impossible thing has to happen. You told me saving the hostages on Beijing was impossible. I tried anyway. They died."

"It's all a game of chance, I'm afraid. It has to end someday." The Doctor said, intensely. "Time can't be rewritten sometimes. Fixed events in time are impossible to alter with dire consequences."

Sofia sat forward. "Doctor, may I ask, what may you mean by fixed points?"

"Startings and endings. Timelines end. Sometimes I wish they didn't, but they can't be changed."

"But we can change whatever happens in the middle of the start and the end, as long as the end result isn't changed?"

The Doctor thought for a second. "Yes, in a way."

Sofia rose from her seat. "I'll get dinner ready. Would you like wine, Doctor?"

The Doctor leaned on the edge of his seat, turning back. "That would be very nice of you, but I don't drink-"

"It's alright then, Doctor. Should I get you something else? Apple juice? I've got some apples in the pantry, I can-"

Shaking his head, the Doctor responded, "It isn't necessary. Water will do. There's no need to add to your burden."

* * *

Jack had returned from the pub a few minutes later. A little tipsy, but he was fine. "How many did you have?" Elisabeth inquired.

"Hey, stop it with the questions! I only had a few," Jack replied, lowering himself into a chair. Sofia had prepared a simple meal, and they ate in the dark by candlelight. A very romantic setting, Elisabeth noted. She wondered why people liked to describe eating by candlelight as romantic. To her, it was just that. Just the flicker of a flame in the near darkness.

"You're saying that the shadows don't stop for any man. Nor woman." Sofia repeated, placing down her fork noisily.

The Doctor rested his cheek on his palm. "You could say that, yes. I'm not sure - maybe there is a way to stop it, but we haven't found it yet."

The four remained in silence for a short while.

Sofia pushed her chair back. "I'm going to the kitchen to get the wine. Do any of you want any?"

"No thank you," Elisabeth declined. "And I think it's not wise for Jack to have any more."

"What are you, my mother?" Jack poked. "Oh, we're so lucky to have someone keep us in line."

Elisabeth grumbled.

Sofia returned, filling her own cup with liquor. She downed it, subtly but vigourously, as if in a hurry to escape from something. Sofia firmly placed her cup on the table, making the tableware bounce.

The Doctor nodded, a concerned expression already starting to form. He gulped, pushing down the lump in his throat. He shifted forward in his seat. "If you don't mind, Sofia, the three of us would like to stay on for a while longer. We'd like to stay the night, if you-"

Sofia nodded, sluggishly. "No problem. There's a spare bed on the first floor. One of you can take that one. There's room in my bed for another person. And the last..." Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, but I've only got accomodation for two."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Elisabeth offered.

The Doctor gave her a stern look. "You do need to take better care of yourself, Elise. We could still go back to the TARDIS, if that's better-"

"I'm quite sure I have a few extra sheets. Could lay them on the floor." Sofia explained, pouring herself another cup.

"Do you drink often?" Jack inquired, smirking.

Sofia shook her head. "No, not often. Just recently. I'm quite proud of myself, actually. I've got lots of old wines at the back of the pantry and I'm trying to clear them all."

"Clear them all? Why?" The Doctor put forward.

Elisabeth found herself shivering. She didn't know whether it was the wind, or something was off.

"It's rather cold out." Elisabeth remarked, getting up to the window.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You're already wearing a jacket."

Elisabeth shrugged. "I know, I know." She stood at the window, taking a glance.

That's when she saw the raven.

It was a very peculiar bird. Instead of just dashing across her vision just like any other playful sparrow or thieving magpie, this bird left streaks of ink and shadow in its wake as it soared. Even from a distance she could see its eyes, glimmering like two black diamonds. Its stare was something evil, something cold.

Then it gave a shriek, and barrelled down towards the street, as if trying to attack its prey.

The Doctor had joined her at the window, watching the scene play out.

The bird locked onto its victim. A teenage boy, his face streaked with soot and his eyes opened wide, like a animal caught in a searchlight. The boy turned, and sprinted off. He might have outran the bird if it weren't for an obstruction in the road. His toes caught on one of the rough, jagged cobblestones and he took a mighty tumble, pushing past a lady carrying a basket of apples. She was just as alarmed as he was, and she stood aside in fear as the bird passed her.

The bird collided with the boy, and it was all over. At least, that's what it seemed. A second later, Elisabeth and the Doctor watched in horror as black smoke billowed from his mouth, and he fell to the cobblestones with a silent scream.

"I'm going to investigate." The Doctor began to make for the door. Elisabeth grabbed his sleeve, causing him to turn back.

"I'm going with you too."

The Doctor shook his head. "You are staying here. Don't leave the house, do you hear me?" He took hold of her wrist, and she let go, although reluctantly. The Doctor marched off, and Elisabeth followed, a distance behind his flapping beige coattails.

She made it out onto the freezing street, meters behind her friend. A crowd had already started to form, in the evening rush. Elisabeth stood behind as the Doctor was lost in the crowd, probably bending down to search the body for the tattoo that marked the victims of the phantom raven. The hair on the back of her neck stood, and she knew that she was in the presence of someone powerful. The duo standing next to them. Even with the robes obscuring most of their faces Elisabeth knew it had to be them. In the dim light of the lanterns Elisabeth could just make out their features - just barely, but enough to confirm. Something was horribly wrong when she started to feel sick again. She pressed her fingers to her temples as she gritted her teeth. The girl - the short brunette - had seemed to notice, and looked on.

"What's the matter?" The other girl, the blonde, whispered, and Elisabeth raised her eyes just to take a better look at her. Her face was youthful, but probably held a deeper secret. A very pretty girl she was. Her sharp, angular face was framed by her sandy blonde locks, and those green eyes seemed to shine. So, so very familiar... Elisabeth knew she had seen this face before.

 _Caroline Nicola Miles._

That's the name she remembered from the credentials she had found in her wallet. Well, not really _her_ wallet, but Caroline's.

The brunette led Elisabeth by the arm, away from the crowd. "You better go home. Blinovitch Limitation Effect. It's not safe for you here."

Elisabeth looked up, with a sour expression. "Excuse me?"

The brunette shook her head. "Never mind." She stopped at the door of Sofia's house. "You better get inside before you freeze."

Elisabeth took a step away. "Thanks." The mysterious girl turned away, and was gone once again. Elisabeth went indoors, and was appaled to see Sofia still at the table, half a cup of wine still in her hand.

"T-tell me, is there any way to stop it?" Sofia wavered.

Elisabeth sat down opposite her, moving the bottle away. "I don't know."

Sofia gripped Elisabeth's hand tightly. "You don't understand, Elise. I'm too young for this. I just hope it'll pass me by when the day comes, and I don't know when it'll come..." She took another sip from the cup.

"Sofia, I don't understand. Could you start your story from the beginning? Maybe it'll help-"

"You don't understand!" Sofia sobbed. Jack shifted closer, patting her gently on the back. He glanced up, mouthing something back at Elisabeth.

"Go find the Doctor, will you? He might need help."

"I'm not going out there again. Some effect, the girl warned me." Elisabeth stated, crossing her arms. "Let's wait until he returns. Besides, he told me to stay in here."

Jack glanced out the window. "Human life is a fragile thing, I'm afraid."

The Doctor returned from the freezing cold, breathing into his palms to warm them. "You can't run from it. I don't know how it chooses its target - it just locks on. But what about the tattoo? The triple zeros mean something, can't they?"

"What if they weren't triple zeros to begin with?" Sofia piped up, resting her head on the table.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I don't quite understand."

Elisabeth stood, going over to the Doctor. She lowered her voice. "I think we better get her upstairs. She's speaking incoherently, and in riddles. It's the alcohol. She needs rest."

The Doctor cleared his throat, pausing to look at Sofia, her thin and wiry body hunched over the table. "I'll handle it myself." He walked over, laying a hand on Sofia's shoulder, causing her to look up.

"You're back." Sofia beamed, drunkenly. The Doctor remained silent, before slinging one of her arms across his back and lifting her from her seat. She swayed precariously off his shoulder, her head lolling. Elisabeth rushed forward to support her, but Sofia was more capable than she thought. Sofia pressed her lips to his ear, and Elisabeth could see her lips moving, then a smirk. The Doctor coughed, a confused and disgruntled expression on his face. Sofia gave a lurch, planting a foot down firmly to stay upright. It was then that Elisabeth decided to step in and help in hauling the woman up the staircase. Once that was done, Elisabeth slipped her into bed, and rushed downstairs to grab a wet cloth, and laid it gently on Sofia's forehead. The Doctor stood back, crossing his arms. His gaze fell on Sofia's left arm. Sofia had applied a clean, white bandage to her left forearm, which Elisabeth swore had been on her arm ever since they had arrived. It had been tied rather loosely, so as not to cut off her circulation, perhaps?

"What's she doing with that on her arm?" Elisabeth murmured, careful not to wake Sofia.

The Doctor crossed the small room, scrutinising the bandage. "It's quite a thin one, and I don't think it's to dress an injury. If it was to dress an injury it'd be tied on tighter in avoid infection, and the blood and pus would soak through." Gently, he reached down and undid the bandage, revealing three black marks on her forearm. Not triple zeros, like the ones he had seen on the recent victims. A zero, a two, and a four. 024.

The Doctor ran his palm across his forehead. "Oh dear." He said, through gritted teeth. He said, regarding Elisabeth. "I think I might know why she might be unstable. Did she mention about regularly turning to drink?"

"She mentioned it was recent." Elisabeth recollected. "Do you think she looks a bit hurried?"

"Like she's attempting to squeeze in as much as she can before the deadline? Yes, indeed." The Doctor turned to leave, heading back down the stairs. Elisabeth followed, rejoining him and Jack in Sofia's sitting room.

"So?" Jack looked up.

"There's a tattoo on her arm. Similar to the deceased we've seen today - three digits. 024, as of now." The Doctor explained. "024, what does that mean?"

"024...24 hours? But 24 hours for what?" Elisabeth posed.

"Is there anything else you've talked about together? I'm quite sure there was some time for you two to strike up a conversation."

"She talked about death." Elisabeth said. "To be exact, her fear of death." She clarified. "She wanted to know...whether there was something after life."

"Death, is that it? Anything else in particular?"

Elisabeth shivered. "I think let's not bring up death again. I think I'm starting to get goosebumps too."

"Scared of it. How many times did she bring it up today?"

"It was a constant topic of conversation. Oh, and fancying a certain someone."

Jack snorted, and the Doctor sat back, biting the inside of his lip. "So I see."

"What exactly did she say to you, Doctor?" Jack probed.

The Doctor sat upright, folding his hands. "I don't think it's right for you to know. She was incapacitated and probably had no idea what she meant. You know, perhaps I could have said that I was married once..."

"Married? That doesn't seem like a very _you_ thing to do." Elisabeth sniggered.

The Doctor retorted, "Once. It was a very long time ago, back on Gallifrey. I'm not being held to my bond now, as the binding seems to cease after the first regeneration. It's rather complicated."

"But you must have had familiy on Gallifrey, didn't you, Doctor?" Jack asked.

"I travelled around with my granddaughter for years after I left Gallifrey." The Doctor reminisced. "But since I haven't felt the need for, er, romantic attraction. Not even now, I suppose."

"You've got the physicality of a young man, Doctor," Jack chuckled, "but not the drive to use it, I suppose."

The Doctor ignored Jack. "024. 24 hours to live, perhaps?" He said, addressing the group once more.

Elisabeth's expression turned sour. "We'll just have to wait.


	15. Death and the Maiden (3)

_Der Tod:_

 _Gib deine Hand, du schön und zart Gebild!_ _Bin Freund, und komme nicht, zu strafen._ _Sei gutes Muts! ich bin nicht wild,_ _Sollst sanft in meinen Armen schlafen!_

 _Death:_

 _Give me your hand, you beautiful and tender form!_ _I am a friend, and come not to punish._ _Be of good cheer! I am not fierce,_ _Softly shall you sleep in my arms!_

-Franz Schubert, Der Tod und Das Mädchen

* * *

Elisabeth awoke with a start. "Shouldn't have fallen asleep last night," Elisabeth grumbled as she stretched out on the chair. She heard the clang of a teacup being placed in front of her.

"Some tea?" The Doctor offered, dropping in a sugar.

Elisabeth nodded. "What time is it now?"

"Seven o'clock in the morning." He answered, stirring the tea and sliding it closer to her.

She sipped, scanning her weary eyes across the room. "She's not got long now, has she?"

"Seventeen hours. We brought her upstairs at midnight." The Doctor said, his tone rather flat. "But you know, I'm rather curious about something."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"How and why, do these marks appear on the people who are about to face their death?"

They heard a bump from upstairs. "Where's Jack?"

"Still asleep in the guest room."

"And where did you sleep last night?"

The Doctor crossed his arms. "I didn't."

Elisabeth started up the stairs. "I think she's up. She must be feeling horrible, after last night."

* * *

Sofia's nervous hands grappled at the sheets, tossing them aside. Once Elisabeth had entered her room Sofia decided to stop moving, and present herself as calm and natural.

"Good morning," Elisabeth greeted. "Is there something you're looking for?"

"A bandage. I had one on last night, and it's gone. I-"

Elisabeth proceeded to sit on the far edge of Sofia's bed. "I'm sorry."

"You all know, don't you?"

Elisabeth nodded.

"Well, can't you do something about it? The Doctor. And his time machine. Can't he undo these events?" Sofia pleaded. She stopped to compose herself, before issuing an apology. "And I'm sorry for my behaviour, last night." She gritted her teeth. "I, I'm sorry for what I've said to the Doctor. I'm afraid I might have offended or alarmed him."

"He's seen and heard many weird things. I'm quite sure what you've said couldn't have affected him that badly."

Sofia managed a smile. "He was definitely more than a little flustered, when I offered that-" She cut herself off. "No, it wouldn't be right."

Elisabeth's smile dropped slightly. "Oh." She stood, crossing over to the cupboard. I think let's get you something to wear before we get you downstairs. We've got to make good use of what time you've had left, right?" She tried to sound as optimistic as she could, but dropped the thought. She couldn't even be optimistic about her own future. It didn't make a lot of sense to stay hopeful for another person's cause. She flung open the doors. "It's rather full, in here."

"They aren't all mine." Sofia explained. "Some of them belonged to-"

"I'd just like to ask, where did you put your husband's clothes then, when he was alive? It's far too cramped to squeeze any more clothes in here." Elisabeth asked. "I hope I'm not being insensitive."

"There's no point in me hiding anymore, is there? I'll be dead before the day is over."

"Don't say that. I'm quite sure we can attempt to prolong your life."

"I didn't have a husband, Elise. I was lying." Sofia said, moving to her vanity. She took a locket from her jewellery-box, and flipped it open. Inside sat two engravings, of two separate women. The first was an engraving of Elisabeth herself, and the second...

"I told you about Gretchen." Sofia started.

"You never married, did you?" Elisabeth said, before she could stop herself.

Sofia shook her head, a sardonic smile upon her face. "We eloped."

"And she's gone too?"

"Gone." Sofia rested her cheek on her palm. "And now it's my turn to join her."

"Why did you tell us that you had a husband in the first place?"

Sofia took a moment to think. "It wasn't normal. If you were to be a more closed-minded individual you would have shunned me."

"It's different in the future." Elisabeth wondered whether she should have said that, after the Doctor's reminders that disclosing the future or fate of a person or civilisation was heavily dangerous. But should it matter now? The woman was dying anyway. She'd take the secrets of the future to the grave.

"It's hard, being in love." Sofia mused. "It's the best thing in the world, honestly. You wouldn't know how great it was if you haven't tried."

"I'm not a romantic person, so I don't know-"

"Give it a try. Trust me, you'll like it."

Elisabeth sighed, changing the subject. "I'll just leave the clothes on your bed and head downstairs."

* * *

"The local people say that she calls herself _Me_." Jack announced. "The brunette. The other one, they say she's named Carol or something."

"Caroline." Elisabeth looked up from the table. "It's a strange coincidence, but I know it can't be."

"Where's the wallet you had on you when you joined me?" The Doctor asked.

Elisabeth slipped it out of her pocket. "It belongs to her, doesn't it?"

The Doctor took the wallet, examining the credentials. "There's some psychic influence here." He passed his fingers over the clear pocket that held Caroline's identification card, and the image seemed to vanish, leaving behind nothing but a blank sheet of paper.

"That's not possible." Elisabeth mentioned.

Jack smirked. "You've got lots to learn. Psychic paper usually fools everyone, unless you're very special."

Elisabeth crossed her arms. "Then you're saying I'm not special then?" She teased.

"Didn't I say you'd have to be _very_ special to see through these kind of things? You're still special and unique, I promise-"

"Now if you've finished flirting with her, Jack," The Doctor sighed, cutting Jack off. "We're going to have to find Caroline and Me. I'm almost sure they're behind this. It might seem like the black magic the villagers are speaking of, but I think it's something I've read about before. Quantum shades."

"Why would anyone use something like that?" Elisabeth rested her cheek on her palm.

"Protection, perhaps? Or they might think themselves to have authority over life and death," The Doctor explained. He rose to his feet, bounding towards the door. "Come on. We've got to find a solution to this, can't we?"

* * *

The two girls made no attempt to be discreet. They were at the square at noon, phantoms dressed in gleaming black. The bell at the chapel tolled as the party of four drew closer to the two girls. The mysterious duo said nothing, and let them approach.

"Good afternoon, ladies," The Doctor started, composed and polite. "I suppose you have something to do with the deaths recently?"

"You're as smart as when I last met you, Doctor." The brunette, Me, gave a knowing smile.

"We've met?" The Doctor enunciated.

"We've met before," Me stated. "That's probably in your future however, and I can't reveal much to you."

"When did I meet you?"

"Several years before the Great Fire of London. You told me it was the Terileptils."

"I-"

Me cut the Doctor off. "You lied."

"So we definitely must have met before. It was pure instinct, honestly, leading me to you. Almost like a flip of a coin, to be honest."

"Doctor, I know this is great and all, catching up with old friends," Elisabeth started. "We've still got to negotiate with them."

Caroline stepped forward, her glimmering green eyes staring into Elisabeth's soul. "This is about Sofia, am I right?"

"Y-yes, Sofia." Elisabeth could feel herself drifting and disengaged again. She rubbed her eyes, taking a heavy breath. The world almost seemed to spin, and honestly, she really didn't want to know whether there were going to be long-term implications of collapsing here there and then.

Jack placed his hand on her shoulder in an assuring manner. "Are you alright, Elise? You look a bit spaced out."

"She needs to stay grounded," replied the Doctor, slipping his own hand into hers. His chilly touch was enough to jolt her to her senses. She clutched on, swallowing a lump in her throat before continuing.

"Is there a way to prevent death from the Raven?" Elisabeth asked, shaking off the Doctor's grip.

"Not in this stage of our bond with the Quantum Shade, no." Me shook her head. "But you could pass it onto another person, and that person will die in your place. You know, Doctor, this is an awful waste of your time. If I were you I'd take up my companions and leave immediately. You don't know who's hot on our trails, and yours."

"Who is, then?" Jack prompted. "You know you can't just leave me hanging."

"The Doctor told me about you, Captain Jack Harkness." Me spoke up. "He said you were one of the immortals. What a pleasure to finally meet you for once. I've been following him over the years, making sure he doesn't destroy the universe in his wake."

"Never mind that," The Doctor cut in, urgent. "You said that there was someone pursuing us."

"The lover of chaos. Thought you might be surprised to see an old enemy again." Me said. "Of course, she'll want us all dead, but Caroline and I are under the protection of the quantum shade."

"How do you know she's coming?" Jack asked.

Caroline stepped forward, clutching a scanner. "DNA tracker."

"That's rather impressive," The Doctor marvelled. "Rather advanced for the eighteenth century, I'm impressed."

Caroline snorted. "You know nothing."

"Who exactly are you tracking?"

"The Master." Caroline plainly said, fiddling with the controls. "She's on to us. Closing in on us. We have to leave soon."

"How are you keeping yourself hidden? The Master would find you in seconds."

"The quantum shade's protection. But it isn't infallible. We still have to work for it, and even so it can't cover our tracks completely." Me explained. "We planned on taking your soul too, Doctor, seeing as it's so valuable, but it would completely disrupt the fabric of space and time."

"That's nice and all, but how the hell did you take DNA samples from the Master? That I would like to know." Jack said.

Me hesitated before answering. "Caroline."

"How?" The Doctor asked.

Elisabeth turned to him. "Doctor, we still have to resolve Sofia's problem. Every minute we waste is a minute wasted of her life."

"Caroline is her offspring."

"Her? The Master?" The Doctor exclaimed, not really understanding the concept. "I thought offspring of a Time Lord was declared illegal."

"Time Lords can regenerate in more ways than one, Doctor. A cross-gender regeneration is definitely not out of the question. And oh, breaking the rules...you know just as much as my Mother does." Caroline explained.

"Oh please, could we just do what we came here for?" Sofia cried. "Please, I'd do anything. Just spare my life."

"We cannot do anything at this stage in our bond with the quantum shade." Me confirmed.

"Can't you just offer us an explanation, or even an apology?" The Doctor pleaded.

"You're not going to like our explanation. We targeted people who we knew that likely would not go on to continue the population of the human race, and also those who had already served their purpose. It would not make a difference in the future population if they were to die." Me explained. "It would not be fair to take away the life of a person who would go on to produce more lives, and sustain the population on Earth."

"It wouldn't be fair, hence or otherwise, to end the lives of any other individuals." Elisabeth said, avoiding Caroline's gaze. So this was what it was like, in all the science fiction novels. Running into yourself was never a good idea to begin with.

"I'd give you anything. I'd offer myself to your service. I'd offer all my earthly riches." Sofia begged. "Anything that if you would just spare my life."

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. The death's locked in. There isn't any way to escape."

"Instead of taking lives, why don't you use the quantum shade's ability for other purposes? To defend?" Jack suggested. "I mean, there's no point in just killing people off. It might be justice to use them on criminals instead."

"Is there another way?" The Doctor prompted. "Is there a way for you both to survive and remain undetected without the protection of the quantum shade?"

"The death's locked in, but I'm sure there is a way to transfer the shade." Elisabeth stated, clutching her fists.

"It only works if it's voluntary." Caroline said. "You can't run from it forever."

Elisabeth stepped forward. "Let me take it," she choked.

The Doctor pushed her back, giving her a stern look. "Elise, I know you want to help, but I can't risk you dying."

"I'm going to die anyway, Doctor. One way or the other. I'd like to face my death before I ruin anything else for anyone."

"You've got to stop blaming yourself for everything. Please, don't do this, Elise." The Doctor's fingers closed around her shoulder. "I don't want to-"

"Am I not in control of my own life, Doctor?" Elisabeth whipped around. "Do you not trust me with my life?"

"You've been very reckless lately. You've nearly gotten yourself killed almost thrice in the last week." The Doctor observed. "Is there something wrong?"

"I couldn't save them. It was the guilt, Doctor, I swear!" Elisabeth cried.

"The Doctor's right. You can't blame yourself." Jack affirmed. "I'm sure at least for the Doctor and I, we'd be disappointed if you chose to die here and now."

"The question is, Jack," Elisabeth retorted, "whether Sofia chooses to give it up or not."

The party turned to Sofia, waiting for her response. Sofia gulped, squeezing out a few tears. Jack sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders. "She's conflicted now."

"It's my fault then, that she feels conflicted. She should have the opportunity to live her life."

"Then you should have the opportunity to live yours." The Doctor stated, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Nobody has to die, do they? I'm certain there's a way to reverse the process."

"There's no hope left for me. But there's still hope for Elisabeth." Sofia whispered, wiping the tears from her face. "It is my death, I am destined to die. Then I will go softly knowing that I will be with my loved ones again."

"Death might be kinder than this place," Me mused. "I wasn't allowed to die, because of your meddling, Doctor."

The Doctor showed a look of pain. "I'm very sorry, for that; but I can't do anything about it as it has already become a fixed event in history. Well, your history. Linear history. It still happens in my future."

The bells tolled again as the great chapel clock stroked one. The tattoo on Sofia's forearm shimmered, like ink flowing across a page. The number came into view again, this time 011.

"I've not got long now, guess I have to make the most of my time left." Sofia said, resolved but grim.

"And we have to move fast. The Master will be here soon." Caroline restated.

"How soon is soon?" The Doctor inquired.

"Twelve hours. If you are to stay with Sofia until her death, you must then leave immediately."

"What harm is he going to do to us? We're stronger that we look." Jack smirked. "The Master's no match for me, I've taken him on before-"

"The Master is a lady now, insists on being called a Time Lady. She's got a few surprises up her sleeve. Don't think that just because you've seen one of his incarnations, you've seen them all." Caroline said.

* * *

"Would you have arranged a funeral for me, if I were in the same position?"

The Doctor kept silent.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor paced the room before stopping short, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "I can't think of losing you."

"That's not a very _you_ thing to say. You're not sentimental. You don't dwell too heavily on past events." Elisabeth clasped her hands, leaning back into the wooden chair. She shifted, uncomfortably.

He sighed. "It's a bit different. I lost a friend once, and I made the decision to pledge that I wouldn't lose another one as long as I live. I _will_ go to whatever lengths I can to see my friends alive."

She swung her left leg over her right, picking at the threads of her black jeans. "You can't guarantee my safety, I'm afraid. You know how I feel about myself."

"I know. And I'm sorry for that."

"Excuse me?" She protested, looking up at him through her fringe. "I don't need your sympathy, Doctor."

"If you could give up all the emotional burden and live well, that would be enough for me."

"And now I have to meet your expectations? Who on earth do you think you are?"

"You speak so often about not meeting your own expectations. Why not let go of those unrealistic expectations for a change? Be a bit more optimistic, will you?"

"I'll try." She threw out, nonchalantly.

"That's the spirit, Elise." He folded his hands. "And now we wait."

"Is that all we can do? Just wait? Is there anything else we could do?" Elisabeth spoke up anxiously.

"The moment has been prepared for." The Doctor mused, turning his attention to the window. "You know, Sofia and Jack get along awfully well."

Elisabeth let the corners of her mouth relax. "I wish I-" She cut herself off. "Oh, never mind. I let my mouth run away sometimes, it becomes a bit of a problem with me."

"You are free to speak your mind, if you wish." The Doctor said, walking over to the fireplace, watching, mesmerised as the smoky embers flittered out into the November air. The glow illuminated the left half of his face, allowing his hair to shine like strands of gold. Elisabeth coughed, snapping herself from a half-baked fantasy.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I was distracted. Just slightly." Elisabeth stammered. "I didn't mean to stare, I swear-"

"You didn't mean to." The Doctor repeated. "There's no need for you to apologise."

"A thought of mine is, what if I had lived just an ordinary life?" Elisabeth wondered. "I don't remember my life before I stumbled aboard into this magical adventure."

"Magical, is that the word?" The Doctor's face lit up. "That's how you think of it?"

"I love the adventure. It's the guilt that gets me later on."

Elisabeth didn't take her eyes off the glowing fire as Jack and Sofia entered the room.

"She says she's ready, Doctor." Jack stated. "She says it's time for us to say our goodbyes."

"Well, then." The Doctor straightened up, rubbing his palms together. He took a breath. "I trust you've had a fufilling life."

"It's been great." Sofia plainly said, but Elisabeth could feel the wavering tone in her voice. It felt weak, and breathy, as if the life was already draining out of her as she spoke. How close was she now, to the bridge between life and death?

"Your happiness was taken from you." Elisabeth lamented. "Don't you feel that?"

"Don't worry, I'll be with her soon." Sofia crossed the room and laid a hand on Elisabeth's arm. "You take care of yourself, please."

"You too."

"I can feel them. They're on the other side. All my loved ones - family, friends. Gretchen. They're there. And they're calling." Sofia's hand wavered as her voice trailed off.

"You're not going anywhere yet. There's another twenty minutes to midnight." Jack teased, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Why didn't you walk into my life earlier? I could have married you if I could," Sofia played along, holding onto a last few moments of bliss.

"It isn't too late, I mean," chuckled Jack, and he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

"But you know what will happen afterwards, right? You won't get a funeral because there's nobody around to arrange it. It'd be terrible, Doctor. Don't you think we could stay just a while longer?" Sofia pleaded.

"I'm sorry. But you remember what Caroline said. I think they're already on their way out of town."

After he spoke the room was silent, save for the noises travelling throughout the night air. The merrymaking of the drunkards of the pub, the clanging of dishes in a sink, the mutterings and wailing of animals. It felt just like any other night. The group of four, kneeling and huddled against the warmth of the fireplace.

And now someone was going to die.

The bells tolled, spelling out a heavy death sentence as one day passed into another.

"It'll be here now," breathed Sofia. She stood, looking around. She took a step, and then two. "I will face this alone."

"You don't have to do this alone. We'll face it together." Elisabeth turned around. She was aware now of the movement by the window, the feathers that ruffled against the curtain.

The raven crowed once, then twice.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. The bird leapt from its post, leaving behing a river of ink. Sofia took in the full sight of Death coming for her, and closed her eyes.

One second. The bird swooped, its eyes as dark as obsidian.

Two seconds. Elisabeth blinked, and almost missed the instant the bird collided with her. In a flash the bird was gone, and Elisabeth thought it was gone.

Three seconds. Smoke. Everything was smoke around them, pouring like a nightmare from Sofia's lips. They heard one last caw as the smoke billowed out into the night.

Sofia swayed on her feet, toppling over onto her back.

The Doctor was the fastest to react, catching her before she reached the ground. He laid her gently to rest, folding her outstretched arms over her body. Elisabeth bent down, eyes fixed on the body.

He bowed his head as he stood, facing his two companions. "I trust you know what comes next," He instructed.

Nobody protested in the darkness of the night. The TARDIS mysteriously disappeared just as it had come, and life went on as usual.


	16. Interlude: Time Crash

**A/N: A small divergence to the canon - inserting two other characters into the single scene of Time Crash. I've decided to put my own spin on the dialogue, without changing too much of the major plot points.**

* * *

"How's the anxiety?" Jack sipped at his morning tea.

Elisabeth looked up, propping her head up on her left hand. "Oh, it's just-" She stopped short, blinking the sleep out of her weary eyes. "Wait, I don't think you should be asking that."

"I was just caring for you. You know, the Doctor and I, we're damn concerned for your health."

"Thanks." Elisabeth mumbled.

"Come on, just out with it! Or would you want to have an answer teased out of you?"

Elisabeth scowled. "It's not getting any better...or any worse. Still getting nightmares. They haven't stopped since we encountered the Daleks." She shivered. "It still gives me the creeps, to bring them up."

"And you're not thinking of putting yourself in mortal danger?"

"I can't help it." She looked up at Jack. "I'm sorry."

"Good morning, everyone," The Doctor burst into the kitchen, clearly in high spirits. "I've managed to do a few repairs to the console. It should steer us out of danger, at least for a while. How are you both doing?"

"Great, fine as usual." Elisabeth lied, straightening up.

"And you've been sleeping well." The Doctor observed.

She forced a smile. "Er, I have."

"That's great, Elise. Just continue to keep your spirits up." He applauded, clapping her on the back. "Great to see that you two are getting along fine. It's been a long time since there's been so much, harmony, on the TARDIS." He hesitated, as if contemplating whether to use such a word.

"Do find me in the console room once you're ready." The Doctor strode out again.

Jack watched the Doctor leave through the door, and once he was out of earshot he lowered his voice. "You're a terrible liar, Elisabeth."

She stirred her tea and bit a piece out of her toast. "He's gone through enough. I don't want to add to his burden."

"Not everything's your fault, you know." He leaned forward across the table, clasping his hands. "You can't save the whole world. Nobody can."

"I'm sure the Doctor could."

"You're not him, Elise. You're you. Just do what you can."

"Thanks for attempting," Elisabeth started, rising, "to cheer me up."

"I bet he knows," Jack mused, following her out of the kitchen.

* * *

"It's just a short jump across dimensions," The Doctor announced. "Far away from Earth. You're fine with that, Elise?"

"Anything to get away from that dreaded planet." Elisabeth jested. "So, what exactly are we up for?"

"An utopia." The Doctor stood back from the console, a gleam in his eye. "Well, an almost-utopia. Nothing's perfect, you see. Now if I've keyed in the right coordinates, the old girl here should end up in the right place without landing too far off."

The column in the centre of the console rose and fall, light reflecting off the glass structures within. The engines took a while to start up, and they choked and spluttered. Elisabeth side-eyed the Doctor, who was watching on with an expression of anticipation - had he actually managed to make _improvements_ to the console?

The floor shook, and all three were flung to different corners of the console room. Elisabeth rammed into the hatstand, knocking it over. "Oh dear," She apologised under her breath. "Terribly sorry, Doctor." She righted the hatstand but it fell over again as the TARDIS gave another lurch. Suddenly the shaking all stopped and there was silence but the low drone that was always present. Then bells rang, deep and low tones like the ringing of a church bell. The noise tolled on and on, giving an air of doom.

"The cloisters," The Doctor gasped, crawling back to the console and ducking under it. "Something's gone terribly wrong. The cloister bell doesn't sound until something very bad is about to happen. Hold on, you two!" He finished examining the underside of the console, and squirmed out from underneath. "There's a collision. With another TARDIS!" He exclaimed, pulling on levers. "Must get away, or the TARDISes will crash and there'll be devastating results. The whole craft will be blown apart!"

"Is there a way we can help?" Jack called from the other side of the room.

The Doctor shook his head vigourously. "No, it doesn't seem so. All we can do is wait for the collision, then separate the two time crafts." Elisabeth gritted her teeth as she grabbed onto the hatstand. There was a tremendous shaking, and the whole room went fuzzy. Lights dimmed and the wallpaper seemed to change. Elisabeth shielded her eyes from the initial glare, and when she opened them again she realised she was standing in a completely different room. It still seemed enough like a TARDIS console, but the unfamiliar dials and switches stared back at her.

"Well, we've got to get to work," The Doctor huffed, bounding to his feet. He unrolled his panama hat, setting it on his head. Elisabeth sensed something a little different about his voice. It'd gone a bit gruffer, and when she had gotten a better look at him now she'd realised that he'd aged at least twenty-five years. Hurriedly, she got up and stared at her reflection in a glass column, relieved to see that she hadn't changed, not like him.

"Can you two give me a hand here-" The Doctor instructed, stopping when he rammed into _him._ The Doctor went on for a couple more seconds before doing a double-take and staring intently at this new face.

"Doctor!" Jack called. Elisabeth scratched her head, trying to make sense of the situation.

"No, wait, I don't quite understand," The Doctor (well, the one that Elisabeth knew) exclaimed, staring intently at the other man. Tall, slim with the brownest eyes and hair ever. If there was a dictionary definition of the colour brown, that'd be it. He was dressed in a tight blue suit (honestly, it left almost nothing to the imagination, thought Elisabeth disdainly) and a sharp red pair of Converse sneakers were on his feet.

"I don't understand any of this either." Elisabeth said, crossing her arms. "What's happened to you, Doctor?'

The man in the blue suit turned slightly to face the Doctor. "Ah, just shortening out the time differentials. That's why you've aged, Doctor. It's all to do with me..." He observed, talking in a cockney accent.

He made another sharp turn, addressing the two companions. "Jack. How brilliant to see you - in fact, you just left, just a few minutes ago. And now you're back and..." He took a few seconds, scanning Elisabeth up and down. "...and you..."

"Is there a problem, sir?" Elisabeth said.

"Ah, nothing. I remember you now. It's been years, you know. You didn't have that problem, you and the memory thing, you," The man turned back to the Doctor. "And now you. It's been ages, yes, again."

The Doctor stepped forward. "Who on earth are you?"

The cloister bells sounded again. "And what have you done to my TARDIS? It's gone coral. Have you gone and changed the desktop theme, hm?" He stopped for a beat. "How do you even know where I live?" He put down his hat on the console, and worked over the alien controls in a rushed frenzy.

"Oh, Doctor, of course I do know," He said, and stepped back and watched the Doctor as he worked at the console. "Hm, the back of my head," He observed, peering over the Doctor's head. "Uh, I think you should put that hat back on. I do have a bit of a vanity issue, must say,"

The Doctor grumbled, stepping back again. "Would you mind?"

"Doctor, I think there's some figures on the screen you might want to take a look at," Elisabeth stepped up, breaking the two men up. "Something about calculations regarding the size of the hole that might be blown through space and time if the two crafts don't separate soon enough."

"Do let me take a look at that, Elise," The Doctor stepped around the console, peering up at the screen. "Did you bring my reading glasses?"

"You don't even need them," called the man. "You just use them to make you look smart. What would I call them again, wait, _brainy specs!"_ He said, smugly. "You can read just fine and you know it. Your companion probably needs them more that you do."

"I don't see how I can get things done if I'm constantly being bugged by this skinny idiot," The Doctor sighed, turning his attention to the screen.

"Watching you two bicker is hilarious," said Jack. "Honestly, I can't even tell you what I'm thinking right now."

"Jack," The man called sternly.

Jack shrugged. "Couldn't help myself."

"A hole the size of Belgium, that's the damage it's going to do." The Doctor announced, stepping back with a grim expression. "Now if we could just-"

The man fished a pencil-like device from his coat with a flashing light on the end. "Do you need this?" He prompted, before breaking into a subtle grin. "Then again, you always went hands-free."

"Who on earth are you?" The Doctor's tone grew harsh, clearly more than just irritated. After a brief pause, his face dropped. "Oh, no," He sighed.

The man nodded. "Oh, yes, you're finally getting it-"

"You're a fan!" The Doctor turned away, back to work at the controls.

"A fan!" The man exclaimed.

"You're one of those LINDA lot, I swear. I can't have you knowing where I live."

"Funny choice, the celery," The man smirked. "Not many men could pull off a decorative vegetable."

The Doctor wrung his hands in exasperation. "It's five minutes to Belgium, and I'm spending these five minutes arguing with this..." His voice trailed off. "I still don't understand."

"Doctor, let's play a game. Two truths, one lie." The man offered, leaning on the console and crossing his arms.

"If you let me play, you've got to leave me alone while I work at this."

"First statement: This is your TARDIS."

Elisabeth glanced at her watch. "Four minutes. Look, I don't see what's the point of your little game if all you're doing is stalling for time. The universe is going to be ripped apart - how could you be playing games at this time?"

"Oh, Elise," The man smirked. "You're brilliant, I know. Brilliant at everything...almost. You might just be a terrible kisser though. Hm, could that be my second statement? I suppose it could."

Elisabeth stepped forward, yelling. "Excuse me? I believe there are some things you shouldn't be commenting on, especially not on a first meeting like this. Also, it's _Elisabeth_ to you, sand shoes."

"Third statement:" He grabbed the Doctor by the shoulders. "I'm definitely not one of your future regenerations!"

"I refuse to believe any future regeneration of mine talks in this sort of way, so I'm presuming the second statement's the lie. Or, er, the first," The Doctor rambled on, exasperated. "Look, would you just move out of the way?"

"Hey!" The man frowned. "I mean, didn't I make it obvious enough? Oh, maybe that's in your future, I'm not sure. Where are you now, actually? Nyssa and Tegan? Cybermen and the Mara? Time Lord and funny hats and the Master...wait, he just turned up recently."

"Again? With that rubbish beard of his?"

"No beard this time, a wife."

Jack leaned over and whispered to Elisabeth. "He's in so much denial right now."

"Shut it," Elisabeth spat. "Doctor, have you considered neutralising the environment?"

"How on earth would I do that?" The Doctor pondered.

"You clever, clever thing! I knew I could count on you, Elise!" The man scrambled over the controls, leaving the Doctor on his heels.

"It's _Elisabeth._ " She rolled her eyes. "You're not kidding me, right? Jack, is that man really..."

"Is it really so hard to believe?"

"How could he be two different people at the same time?" Elisabeth said, thinking hard. "Don't tell me, regeneration?"

"Sure, yes."

"I don't even know where that term came from. It just flew to my mind, just like all the other strange terms. I never understood how I knew how to fly the TARDIS. It seemed so normal, so natural. I just don't understand myself sometimes."

"Elisabeth," Jack started.

"Yes?"

"Did you ever remember something like, a fobwatch or something?"

Elisabeth shook her head. "No, why?"

"Because it might be very important. He did explain the chameleon arc to you, did he?"

"Briefly. Jack, please – you don't think I'm..." She gave a heavy sigh. "It seems unreal."

"I'm just saying, it might be a possibility." Elisabeth found it even harder to process his words, and she turned away.

The Doctor paced around, his nervous gaze still on the console. "You two, might want to grab onto something. I sense there's going to be quite a tremendous rocking and-"

He didn't finish his sentence before the TARDIS gave one gigantic lurch, and all went still.

"You've managed to create a supernova and black hole at the exact same time," said the Doctor in awe. "I didn't think that was possible. How on earth did you work it out so quickly?"

"I didn't have to." The man smiled. "I remembered."

"You could have remembered only, only if you were here. Which means..." The Doctor brought his hands together. "You are me, after all. You remembered, because I saw you do it. That's astounding, to say the least."

"You know, Doctor, I loved being you." He gushed.

"I didn't know you were the sentimental type, Doctor," Elisabeth poked.

"Oh, come on! Can't a Time Lord reminisce his days past? I remember when I was _you_ , just dashing about and having fun, with that cricket game you so fondly loved. Definitely a far cry, from the men I was before, when I was young and trying to be all bossy. Look," The Doctor gestured to his bright red footwear. "The trainers, with all the running, and your voice going higher when you shouted - still do that sometimes!"

"And just look." He whipped out a pair of rectangular-framed glasses. "Snap."

The engines whirred again, and Elisabeth found herself fading. "Doctor, what's going on?"

"It's time to go- the TARDISes are separating," The other Doctor explained. "Goodbye, everyone." He hit a switch, and Elisabeth found that the world started to grow paler and paler, until all that was left was just pure white...

* * *

Elisabeth woke in the TARDIS, alongside Jack. However, the Doctor was nowhere to be found.

"He's gone." Jack pulled himself to his feet. "He couldn't have recovered that quickly, perhaps."

"Or maybe he's not back yet."

The Doctor faded into view on the other side of the room, back to his usual, (young) self once again. "My apologies for being a bit late - I left my hat behind."

"Must be weird, meeting yourself in another part of your timeline."

"As much as it sounds absurd, I believe you've also done it yourself, Elise. Don't ask me for an explanation now - you'll find out soon enough."


	17. A Home Away From Home (1)

**A/N: Sorry for the infrequent updates - the exams have just passed. I will probably update this fic at least once (maybe twice, if I'm feeling up to it) before I leave for a school trip mid-November.**

* * *

"An utopia, you say?" Elisabeth asked again, pacing around the console. "Are you certain such a place exists? There isn't a possibility. There's got to be a balance in everything."

"She's right, Doctor. And what about the hope of a false utopia?" Jack continued. "The Doctor and I - well the other one, the one we just met, we went to the end of the universe. The people there were in search of an utopia but they quickly realised...there was none. And then there was the whole year with the Master and such..."

The Doctor gave the idea a quick thought. "Well, maybe not really an utopia, but something very close, in certain aspects. Maybe it shouldn't be even categorised as an utopia at all, but it's always been absolutely pleasant to visit. I've been to one, a few decades back maybe in my past, the planet of Traken. But it's since been destroyed."

Elisabeth shivered. "I don't like the idea of destroying planets."

"Neither do we, I presume," The Doctor said. He walked over, placing his hand on the door switch. "It's stuck," He said, raising his eyebrows. "I wonder why."

"Maybe you should consider looking at the scanner. But honestly I might have done as you have, if I were you."

"That seems like an excellent idea." The Doctor hit a button on the console, and the screen started to bring in the image.

Jack shook his head. He seemed to be taken aback, in shock. "Doctor, I didn't think this was your idea of an utopia!"

The Doctor bit the inside of his lip. "I think we've arrived a few months too late." Elisabeth turned her attention to the screen, where she was greeted by a scene of a burning wasteland and glowing magma, which encompassed the surface like a rolling, molten sea.

"Is this all that's left of the planet? Or have you simply landed us on the wrong one?" Elisabeth inquired.

The Doctor scratched his head. "Presumably that's all that's left. The TARDIS hasn't picked up any other life forms. We're on the right coordinates, but just a year too late. For the planet of Aventia, its last year was truly beautiful."

"A time jump is all you need, right?" Elisabeth confirmed, moving to the controls. "Doctor, I can do this. I'll just-" She yanked at a knob, jumping backwards as it locked into place with a resolute click. The TARDIS whirred for a few seconds before slowing to a stop. The screen now showed a snowy landscape that seemed to stretch for miles.

"That seemed to do the trick," Affirmed the Doctor, checking the coordinates.

"Well, we should be able to go out and explore," Elisabeth suggested, pulling the door switch. Immediately a cold blizzard blew in, showering her in snow. As quick as her reflexes could take her, she pushed back on the switch, and the doors swung closed.

"You might want to watch, er, the snow," sighed the Doctor.

"Sorry," admitted Elisabeth. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking out flakes of white, "for acting so rashly again. I'll just, go and get a coat, if you don't mind waiting."

* * *

"Aren't you cold, Doctor?" Jack asked.

The Doctor walked on, crunching the snow under his trainers, which seemed to match the colour of the snow quite nicely. "Abnormally low body temperature. The temperature difference isn't as great to me as it is to you. Right now I'm only feeling a slight breeze, but it must feel like a storm to you."

"Then what about the opposite? Do Time Lords overheat? And plus I don't see how you keep yourself from doing so, with that warm jumper on," Elisabeth said, stuffing her mitten-clad hands in the pockets of her parka.

"I don't know, honestly. It's just the Time Lord culture - we're told to cover as much skin as possible. As far as I'm concerned, the most one can show is their face and neck perhaps, in order to be considered decent. If I was seen on Gallifrey in this," The Doctor took a breath, "it'd cause a rightful scandal."

"Abnormally low body temperature," Jack reiterated. "How low is that?"

"About fifteen degrees," The Doctor replied, "Celsius."

Elisabeth, not wanting to continue on the subject of Gallifreyan culture and the Doctor's anatomy, kept silent.

"Are the snowy plains usually this deserted, Doctor?" Jack inquired.

"At least when I last came, there certainly was a great deal of wildlife about. You see, the rising global temperatures made it impossible for wildlife to survive, and as a result, they just died out."

"A pity." Elisabeth murmured.

After trodding along in the storm for what seemed like forever, they came across a frozen stream. Powdery snow settled on the banks, lining the smooth, icy surface. It would have been vivacious in the summer, bubbling as the water would flow into the valley as smooth as clear silk, but now it was completely...frozen. Stuck in time.

"We'll cross one at a time. Can't risk breaking the ice." Elisabeth observed. "I'm not sure how much pressure it can take, but hopefully it will serve its purpose in getting us across." Tentatively she stepped on, and made quick and small steps as she traversed the lake. It wasn't a long walk - about twelve meters across. Keeping her arms slightly outstretched like a bird's wings just before flight, she skidded her way across, tensing as she heard a crunch below her left boot when stepping off the ice onto the bank. She turned back, gesturing for her two friends to come across. "The ice on my side is a bit thin. Try not to take the route I took."

"You first, Doctor." Jack offered, stepping back to let him cross.

"No, you first." The Doctor articulated. "I don't mind waiting."

"If you say so," Jack replied, setting off across the ice. He too, made it safely to the other end without too much struggle.

The Doctor followed, and Elisabeth could tell from his gritted teeth that he was trying his best not to lose his balance and fall over. His shoes seemed to slip a lot more, perhaps to the fact that he was unlucky enough to have some snow under his shoes when he stepped onto the ice. The lack of friction made it difficult to move, no matter in the intended direction or not. Pressing on, The Doctor took a brief break to shrug on his coat before moving on. He seemed to make valiant progress with every step, but she was anxious. As she watched, cracks started to spread where he stepped, and the sound that followed continued to increase the tension in her muscles. He was just a step away from the bank when she reached out, but she underestimated her reach by a number of millimeters and he disappeared into the ice up to his midsection, his fingers briefly swiping hers before the ice gave way.

"Oh dear," Elisabeth lamented, stepping forward. She took hold of the Doctor's left arm, as best as she could while keeping both feet firmly planted on land. But his weight sent her reeling forward, and she grimaced as she leaned back to steady herself. Jack took his other arm and with a heaving effort, they dragged him from the ice. Soon after, the trio collapsed onto the ice.

"You alright, Doctor?" Jack asked, concernedly. He was the first to get to his feet, and he offered his hand to the Doctor to pull him up as well. Elisabeth scrambled to her feet, almost slipping back.

"You're soaked to the waist. Are you in shock, Doctor?"

The Doctor gave a half-hearted smile. "I'm in as much shock as you'd expect me to be."

"That's great." Elisabeth huffed, putting her hands to her sides. "We have to get you somewhere warm before frostbite sets in. Or at least, keep you moving."

"Back to the TARDIS?" The Doctor suggested.

"Our bridge back's been burnt," said Jack, shaking his head in disappointment. "Our only option is to continue moving forward. Are there any civilisations nearby, Doctor?"

"There's another one," The Doctor paused to take a breath, his knees shaking. "Another hour's walk from here, up north."

"We better get going, Doctor." Elisabeth affrimed. "It must be difficult for you to stand, Doctor. Your trousers must be frozen from the cold."

"I can manage," retorted the Doctor, bending himself to prop himself up with his hands on his knees. "It's just a mild discomfort."

"There's something out there." Jack observed, putting a hand to shield his eyes from the glaze of the white snow. "There's a sled. A wooden one, with dogs."

"A sled?" The Doctor repeated. "You could attempt to get their attention, I suppose."

"Hey!" Elisabeth hollered, through the snow, hoping to alert the sled. "We're in need of help!"

"They probably can't hear us through the storm, I suppose." The Doctor sighed, looking around. "Do any of you have any colourful garments on you?"

Elisabeth unfurled her blood-red scarf, its vibrant crimson clashing with the snow. "Will this do?" She held it up, waving it as she yelled again.

The sled drew closer, and Elisabeth knew that she had probably done enough to draw their attention. The rider waved a mitten-clad hand. Jack clamoured forward, to speak with the rider.

"Come on," Elisabeth urged, returning her scarf to its place. She secured the garment before starting off. The Doctor followed, breathing hard into his hands. Noticing his slight discomfort, she offered her friend support, half-dragging him through the snow. Once they reached the sled, it took a bit of deliberation until the rider offered the pair of skis off their back. Jack suggested that he ski, since the Doctor was surely in no condition to do so and Elisabeth admitted that she didn't have a single sliver of experience when it came to snow.

"I don't mind running," Elisabeth said. "I'll catch up later."

The Doctor scowled, seemingly concerned. "You'll get lost."

"I'm quite sure the dogs will be able to take our weight just for another five minutes," The rider explained. "They're genetically modified, you see," They said, gesturing to the pack of six that was hitched to the sled. "Get in the cargo bed, you two."

Elisabeth obliged, but not without a few muttered complaints.

The settlement they were headed for was just barely visible in the distance. A glass dome, with hints of steel and concrete buildings residing within. Lights flickered on and off just like the stars did. "That's quite a nice settlement." The Doctor remarked, turning back. "I do have to thank you for picking us up," He gave a pause. "I'm sorry. I haven't even asked for your name yet."

The rider adjusted their ski mask, showing more of their pale blue eyes which seemed to reflect the sun. "It's Levene, if you're asking."

"Levene," The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to offend you, but is that masculine or-"

"Both or neither, thank you. If it makes it easier for you, I don't mind feminine." Levene spoke, before yelling out a command to the dogs. The sled made a slight turn, heading for an opening of the glass dome which housed the city. Up close, Elisabeth didn't think much of the city. It just looked like any other city, with its skyline of unfeeling, grey concrete buildings. It wasn't even contrasting with the snow falling around the dome - it could have looked more spectacular sitting in the middle of a red desert. Worst of all, it seemed to remind her of the bustling, moving city of Beijing, just before it was destroyed.

Elisabeth swallowed her thoughts, before turning her gaze back to the scenery.

The sled stopped by a stop at the edge of the city, and Levene hailed a cab. She rode shotgun while the Doctor and his companions piled into the back. Their journey took them past row after row of unique buildings, each one different from each other. The Doctor had his eye on one of the more neoclassical structures, perhaps due to his visiting of various planets and their vibrant histories. A violin-shaped skyscraper fascinated her, and Levene explained that the building was the local music conservatory, but hardly anyone frequented it anymore. The cab stopped by a low city block, something that looked neither glamourous nor drab. Just another regular city block amongst the towering buildings, noted Elisabeth. In fact, it looked a little too average. Just a regular rectangular building with square windows, with dim lights glowing behind the blinds.

"The welcome station," Levene said, unzipping her coat. She pushed past the doors, leading the group of weary travellers in. She produced a two pass cards from her left pocket, handing them out to Jack and Elisabeth. "These will give you access to the shower facilities." She glanced at the Doctor. "I will need a separate pass to unlock the bathing facilities, which I think will prove a bit more beneficial to your condition."

"No, it's not necessary, if it proves so much trouble. I'll just spend a while by the artificial fireplace you have in the lobby before heading off for a shower."

Levene smiled. "No, I insist. It's been so long since we've had guests."

Elisabeth had no idea what to make of the shower facilities. Once she'd settled herself into the cubicle and stripped herself of her clothing, draping them on the input bar as instructed, the bar retracted itself into the wall, much to her surprise and slight annoyance. A message bleeped on the screen to inform that her clothes had been sent to the laundry, and she would be able to pick them up in a matter of shower hadn't been much better, with the numerous panels which each displayed a variety of options, and she'd spent the first two minutes hopping from foot to foot as she was greeted with alternating blasts of boiling hot and cold water. The soap came as a surprise, encompassing her from head to toe. Another few blasts later, and she stood dripping wet, but sparkling clean. Towelling herself off, she stepped from the shower, thinking the procedure was over. A cupboard sprung open, producing a new set of clothing, a simple grey shirt and cloth trousers, along with a pair of undergarments. Dressing herself, she glimpsed herself in the mirror, only to find something a bit off. Something about her hair, although it hadn't changed much in texture or in length, but rather in colour. Since the scanner had told her that she was a hundred percent clean and there weren't any remnants of any substance on her body that could cause her any harm, Elisabeth decided to just go along with her new hair colour. The alien soap had tinted her hair purple and green in places, and against her natural dark hair the splashes of colour seemed like swirling galaxies.

She shrugged it off, before stepping out of the room, locking Shower Cubicle 2A with the pass card.

Looking up and down the corridor, she spotted nobody. The shower cubicled next to hers, supposedly occupied by Jack, was empty. He'd probably finished his shower, and could possibly be relaxing in the main lobby, if not exploring the building. Recalling the route, she sauntered back, taking her time. Jack sat at the coffee table by the fireplace, holding a grey sack.

"Welcome pack," He gestured. "Has everything you need to start a life here."

"Where's the Doctor?" Elisabeth asked, grimacing at the distinct smell of carpet cleaner that graced the room. "Seems like they keep this place maintained."

"Still enjoying his time in the bath, I suppose." Jack posed, handing her the other two sacks. "One for you, one for him."

"Thanks." Elisabeth undid the strap, surveying the contents. "I think I'll go and settle this later."

"According to Levene, the Doctor's only gotten started on his bath. It took her quite a while to find the keys to the bathing facility. It isn't used often, she says, as there isn't a need to waste such a great deal of water."

She gave a sardonic smile. "I'm sure the shower used up more water than a bath ever will."

"You aren't wrong, I suppose." Jack took a breath. "Why don't you go and check how the Doctor's doing? And you might as well pass the pack to him."

"Why don't you do it?" She huffed.

Jack changed the subject, instead choosing to focus on Elisabeth's new image. "What's with your hair?"

"The soap probably reacted with the product I put in my hair this morning. But that aside, I think it's beautiful." Elisabeth announced, picking up the pack. "I think I'll go run along now. When's dinner?"

"Levene's arranging it for us now."

"How nice of her."

"What do you think, of the planet?"

"Not very impressive, it seems, to be brutally honest."

Jack shrugged. "Oh, there'll be more when spring rolls around, according to Levene." He paused, adding, "She's quite a charming one, you know."

"Well, I'll be sure to take note of that," She said, fidgeting with the sleeve of her shirt. "Is it me, or is clothing here meant to be as tight as possible?"

Jack pinched the neckline of his shirt, frowning slightly at the limited elasticity of the material. "Maybe they're just short of the material."

"Well, I do hope it's that, and it isn't deliberate," Elisabeth crossed her arms. "I'll meet you back here later, I presume."

* * *

"I wonder how the hell he survived." Elisabeth muttered under her breath. "It's like a freezer back there. Probably nobody uses the baths back there since the shower's far more efficient, and turning off the heating just saves power. How environmentally aware."

"Shouldn't feel nice, being frozen and then given time to thaw and being put back in the fridge," Jack agreed, leaning back in his chair.

 _That's it. You and him, getting quite chummy with each other. Now doesn't that feel nice? The power of friendship's awfully overrated at times._ The voice in her head nagged, like an exasperated mother.

"Please go away," She pleaded, then stopped, knowing that speaking out loud to herself probably wasn't normal to most people. "Damn, I'm sorry. Didn't meant to let that slip."

"You shouldn't be lying about your problems. Something seems bad." Jack said.

She scowled. "I'll let you know what you need to know, thank you very much."

"Why aren't you letting the Doctor know? He could help."

"He has enough worries of his own, I suppose."

"You _suppose_."

"Shut up, Jack."

A person walked over, putting their hand on the back of Elisabeth's chair. "Oh, I've just been looking for you. I hope you didn't manage to get yourself lost. Elise, right?" Elisabeth stopped upon hearing the voice, blinking straight at the speaker.

"Elisabeth. I'm only Elise to my friends." She said. "Levene, right?" She turned, craning her neck to look up at her tall figure. She'd only recognised Levene from her pale blue eyes and her voice. She didn't remember her to be so tall and slender. Perhaps it was because of her heavy coat earlier, she had since shed it and was now wearing an ensemble not unsimilar to her own. And her skin, was tinted a faint shade of lilac. Elisabeth wanted to ask, but reason told her to hold back. Perhaps it was just a natural shade of pigmentation of the native Aventians. She outstretched a hand, and Elisabeth took a moment before returning the handshake, slinking back as quick as she could. Levene watched on with a bit of a confused look upon her face, until Jack brought up that Elisabeth wasn't too comfortable with physical contact. Levene had nodded silently, internalising the information.

"Yes, Levene. Er, I've invited Jack out for dinner later, or maybe it was the other way around. I was thinking that I could help the three of you get around the settlement. It's not very huge, but it might be at first glance." Elisabeth smiled. "Where are you three from?"

"All sorts. We're travellers." Elisabeth replied. "But I don't think I'm suited for travelling sometimes. The Doctor thinks we might be staying for a while."

"We can get you an apartment at the rental block first. That will probably suffice as temporary quarters."

"Thanks." Elisabeth said. "I'm looking forward to experiencing life on another planet, you see."

"You came just at the right time."

"At the right time?"Elisabeth reiterated.

"Season-wise, really. It's about to be spring soon. In fact, it'll be spring tomorrow." Levene explained. "And also, our planet has just finished picking up the pieces from a civil war that ended several years ago, around this time. We're starting to get back into the swing of life."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must've been hard for you all," Elisabeth stopped, dropping her head. "I have no idea what to say to that, honestly."

"The Doctor said you've got a really nice planet." Jack beamed.

Levene sighed. "It used to be nicer. I'm afraid it's the start of the end for us."

"Don't say that." Jack affirmed. "It's not the end of your beauty, for one."

"You flatter me." Levene plainly stated, crossing her arms. "It's nice to see young travellers again. I hardly get to interact with anyone my age anymore."

He smirked. "You know, the Doctor would be flattered to hear that. He said once that he's amused that his current regeneration doesn't look a day over twenty five. Yet he's probably about forty times older than he actually looks."

"Bloody hell, he's being generous." Elisabeth chuckled. "But honestly, I don't think he'd be the type of person to comment too much on himself. He's much too humble for that."

"It was once, in passing conversation." Jack turned his attention to the corridor. "And would you look at that, speak of the devil!"

"I hear I've been mentioned in conversation," stated the Doctor, dressed in a similar form-fitting grey shirt and black trousers. Elisabeth almost smirked - how ridiculous he looked. No, it certainly didn't suit him. She knew it wouldn't be too often that he'd wear something that would show off his form, and she felt something was off, the way he behaved. A very defensive stance, as if not being very comfortable in his own skin. This was presumably, in her opinion, due to the fact that he wasn't used to wearing so little, and he was unfamiliar with the foreign weight the light clothes had on his skin.

"Thank you, Levene, for your hospitality," The Doctor said, taking a seat on the chair next to Jack, his back to the (artificial) fireplace.

"It's my pleasure, Doctor." Levene returned. "The three of you must be hungry. I'll take you somewhere to eat tonight, somewhere close by." She paused. "Oh, and you three probably need coats. I'm quite sure there are a few spares in the back room."

"You're too kind." Elisabeth expressed, folding her hands.

* * *

The night sky was beautiful. Stars were scattered across the sky like glitter on a black sheet, glimmering in the dark above. Hazy clouds drifted by, like grey pieces of cotton candy (did they even come in that colour? Elisabeth assumed they did,) and the triple moons gleaned brightly beyond the snowy mountains that lay outside the city.

Levene sipped at her tea, tapping her fork on her plate in a steady, unconscious manner. "It used to be better," She explained, "before the war. We're the first community to recover. Everyone else is still trying to build their towns up from the ground."

"I'm sure it must have been a terrible experience," mused the Doctor. "I've seen many wars, and it is the interplanetary ones that are the worst."

"I was lucky." Levene frowned, leaning back in her chair. "My family wasn't-"

"-No, you don't need to bring up your past. I apologise if I've triggered something up in you, Levene."

"I've moved on now." Levene said, composed. "I've got a great job, a nice flat in a nice suburb, a boyfriend. I've got everything I was expected to have at the age of twenty three."

"Why aren't you out with him tonight? Your mate, I mean." Jack smirked. "Cancelled a date just to welcome us?"

"Well, I guess we should be grateful," The Doctor interrupted, taking a glance at Levene. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"There's no need for you to be. I'm just glad that you're willing to stay for a while, just to experience our ways here. Do you do this often?"

"Not quite, we tend to hop from place to place rather frequently."

"Then you're very welcome to experience life on Aventia, Doctor." She removed her gaze from the party, glancing at her watch. "Oh, damn, we've missed it!"

"Missed what?" Elisabeth asked.

"Changing of seasons." Levene replied. "Oh, it must've been a wonderful sight, and we've just missed it!"

"Oh, not to worry, I'm quite certain we'll be around when the next change takes place." The Doctor explained.

"So you do intend to stay for quite a while."

"I guess so," murmured Jack, before leaning forward in his chair. He raised his glass of champagne. "Cheers?"

Mugs (or rather glass, in Jack's case) clinked together in the night, and the four drank to a fresh start.


End file.
